Hidden Leaks in East End and Foothill Homes

Water runs downhill, and so do the clues

On a hillside lot, a leak in the service line near the top of the yard can show up as a soggy patch at the bottom, seepage at a lower retaining wall, or damp on a basement wall that faces downhill. Water also likes to follow the old trench the pipe was laid in, then pop out wherever that trench ends.

That's why digging where it's wettest is a poor bet on a slope. Listening along the line, or a tracer gas test on plastic pipe, finds where the water actually leaves the pipe. How a buried line gets traced

Questions East End homeowners ask

Older homes in the East End

The East End's historic houses, from small bungalows to large older homes, share a lot with the North End: mixed pipe materials from different decades, old basement mechanical rooms, and supply lines that have been patched more than once. Many sit back from the street, so the service line from the meter box is long, and long lines have more places to fail. North End homes

Newer houses up the hill

Houses built later up toward the foothills are more likely to have PEX supply lines and sprinkler systems on steep yards. Homes on slopes often have a pressure reducing valve where the water comes in, and a failing one lets pressure climb, which is hard on fittings and water heaters. Sprinkler lines on a slope can leak at a low head and drain the whole zone downhill after each cycle. Sprinkler line leaks

When to call rather than wait

Water surfacing on a slope can wash out soil and undermine paths and landscaping. Call if water keeps appearing with no rain, if the meter moves with everything off, or if a basement wall stays damp through a dry spell.

Nearby: North End and Downtown · Southeast Boise and Harris Ranch