A lateral leak under an Austin lawn can run for weeks before the water bill jumps. Oak roots and limestone shifts split PVC at the fittings. We isolate the run, find the wet spot, cut only what we need, and glue a repair that holds.
A lateral leak shows up as a dark kidney in the lawn a day after the cycle. A mainline leak can wet a wider strip and drop pressure on every station. We isolate before we dig. That is how we keep an Austin front yard from looking like a trench farm.
Oak roots lift old glue joints. Limestone shifts and pulls fittings apart. Both look the same from the street. The repair is a short cut, primer, glue, and time to set. We re-seat the sod. We do not seed a 10-foot scar for a 6-inch break.
If the water bill jumped and the lawn looks the same, start here, not with a new clock. A clock cannot hide a break under the driveway apron.
What we look for
- Water bill up with no change in use
- A soggy patch between cycles
- Low pressure on several stations
- Silt blowing out of the heads
On the visit
- Shut down and isolate the leaking run
- Probe and listen for the break
- Cut out the failed pipe and solvent-weld a repair
- Backfill and re-seat the sod
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