Boise, Idaho · hidden water leaks
Leak Detection in Boise, Idaho
Most hidden leaks give themselves away on paper before they show on a wall. The meter keeps creeping with every tap off, the Veolia bill jumps, or a blue tag shows up on the door. Finding the exact spot takes listening gear and a thermal camera, and this number puts you through to a Boise plumbing company that does that work.
Your call is handed to a Boise plumbing office, and the hand-off can leave a short silence. Leave the call open until a person comes on.
You noticed something. Here's what it usually points to
The meter moves with everything off
Water is leaving the pipes somewhere. If it keeps moving after you close the shutoff at the house, the leak is between the meter box and the house. Worth ruling out first: a toilet that runs, a softener stuck in regeneration, or an irrigation zone left on. High water bill checks
A soft, green strip in the yard
Often the buried line from the meter, sometimes a sprinkler lateral. The two behave differently on the meter. Water line leaks and sprinkler line leaks
A stain on the ceiling under a bathroom
Supply line, drain, or the roof. A stain that grows with no water running points to a pressurized line. Wall and ceiling leaks
A musty smell from under the house
Very common in Boise, especially the spring after a hard freeze, because so many houses sit over crawl spaces. Crawl space leaks
A warm patch on the floor
Newer homes, garages and additions on concrete can hide a hot water line leak under the slab. Slab leaks
How a leak gets located without tearing into everything
The tech who comes out usually starts with the meter, closing valves one at a time to split the plumbing into sections until the leak has nowhere left to hide. Then the tools come out.
Listening. Pressurized water escaping a pipe makes a hiss that a ground microphone can pick up through soil, concrete or drywall. It's loudest closest to the leak.
Thermal imaging. A hot-water leak warms the surface above it, and a cold one can chill it. On a thermal camera it shows as a shape that doesn't follow the framing.
Pressure and isolation tests. A gauge on a closed section of pipe shows whether it holds. That proves which branch has the leak.
Tracer gas. For stubborn buried plastic lines, a harmless gas mix is pushed through the drained line and picked up where it rises through the soil.
The goal is one mark on the floor, wall or lawn, so the repair opens a small spot instead of a long trench. More detail in how hidden leaks get found.
Meter moving with every tap shut?
Short pause, then a person.
Why a Boise leak can cost you twice
Veolia bills the water, but the City of Boise sets your sewer charge from Veolia meter readings taken between October and April. A leak running through those months raises the water bill now and the sewer charge for the year after.
The city does take leak adjustment requests for increases between October 15 and April 15, but it wants proof: Veolia readings showing use dropped after the fix, or a Veolia blue tag showing no leak, plus a professional repair invoice. All of that starts with finding the leak. What to send with a leak adjustment.
Which side of the meter is yours
Under Veolia's tariff, the pipe from the main up to and including the meter box belongs to Veolia. From the meter box to your house, the line is yours to keep in repair, and so are your sprinkler lines. Leaks on your side are expected to be fixed promptly.
Only Veolia staff should operate the curb stop in the meter box, except in an emergency, so use the shutoff where the line enters your house. Who fixes the line from the meter.
The houses leaks hide in around Boise
Older North End and East End homes often carry galvanized and early copper supply pipe, basements, and additions plumbed decades apart. North End · East End
The Bench is mostly mid-century ranch houses over crawl spaces, with mature trees growing over old service lines. Boise Bench
West and Southwest Boise subdivisions from the 1970s on tend to have plastic service lines and sprinkler systems on household water. West Boise
Southeast Boise, Harris Ranch and Barber Valley have many newer builds with PEX, some slabs, and pressure irrigation. Southeast Boise
Not covered by this line: Northwest Boise (83714), Garden City, Meridian and Eagle.
What happens after you dial
Your call is handed to a Boise plumbing office
A short silence during the hand-off is normal. Leave the call open until a person comes on.
Describe what you've noticed
What the meter did, what the bill did, where anything looks wet, whether you own or rent, and roughly how old the house is.
Ask how they work
How locating is billed, whether they also do the repair, and when they can come out. Those answers come from the company.
Check them before work starts
Look up their Idaho license through DOPL and ask for proof of insurance.
Your call is handed to a Boise plumbing office, and the hand-off can leave a short silence. Leave the call open until a person comes on.
Common questions
Can a leak be found without opening walls?
Usually most of the search happens from the outside. The technician listens, scans with a thermal camera and tests sections of pipe, and only opens a small area where the leak has been marked.
How do I check my meter for a leak?
Turn off every fixture, the irrigation and the water softener. Note the meter reading and watch the small leak indicator. Wait 30 to 60 minutes without using water and look again. Any movement means water is going somewhere.
Is the leak my problem or Veolia's?
Under Veolia Water Idaho's tariff, the line from the main up to and including the meter box is Veolia's. From the meter box to your house, the line is the homeowner's to keep in repair.
I rent. Who should call?
Tell your landlord or property manager in writing, with photos. The owner usually arranges the locate and repair. Calling is still fine if you've been asked to find someone.
Can the same company fix it once it's found?
Many companies that locate leaks also repair them. Ask on the call so you know before anyone comes out.