Try These 3 Easy Steps to Locate Your Water Leak
Step 1 – Read Your Meter
High water bill? Excessive moisture? Do you have an infamous Santa Barbara water leak? Your water meter will tell you. In most homes, the water meter is in a concrete box along the street. Once this box is located, open the cover hole and clear off any debris that may be obstructing the readout on the meter’s glass lense. There should be some sort of a micrometer in the center of this lense. Typically it is a black or red triangle, but can also be a pinwheel shape. Make sure all water in the house is off. Then, check to see if the micrometer is spinning. If it is, water is being used somewhere-aka leaking.
Step 2 – Find Your Shut Off Valve

Note: Not all homes have these, but the vast majority do!
In Santa Barbara, the waterline will typically run in a straight line from the meter to the house. Scan the walls of your home closest the meter and look for where the line is coming out of the ground and into the home. There will usually be a pressure regulator. This is a large piece of brass that is shaped like a bell or funnel, and a shut off valve. The valve with either be a rectangular handle or a circular gate valve that shuts off water to the house. Turn this valve off and check to see if the meter stops running. If it stops, the leak is in the house. If it doesn’t, the leak is in the yard and you are continuing to lose water.
Step 3 – Rule Out The Obvious
If it is in your yard
- Walk a straight line from the shut off back to the meter. Pay attention for any particularly wet spots in the ground or especially green patches of your yard.
- Check all hose bibs by unscrewing hose and examining the valve for leaks
If inside
- Check for any dripping faucets, shower heads, or water softeners
- Check all toilet tanks to see that they are shutting off appropriately. If it sounds like water is continuously cycling in your toilet tank, the float has faltered and is constantly leaking water!
- walk the floor in socks, paying attention for any “warm spots”. This is an indication of water leaking and wrapping itself around the hot water pipe.
Thanks for watching! We hope these tips will help you find your next Santa Barbara Water Leak!
Gary Fuller
ACME Detection
Santa Barbara, California
(805) 565 LEAK
(805) 565 5325
Leak detection tools we use
- LD 18 Sub Surface microphone
- Metrotech Vivax HL 5000-4 microphone
- Radio Detection RD 7000 locator