Leak Detection in Union City, GA

My meter is turning with everything off. Whose problem is it?

Union City answers that directly in its utility FAQ: a meter that turns with all fixtures off means a leak on the customer's side, Public Works cannot work on private property, and customers should call a plumber for those repairs. The city maintains its own water distribution system, buys treated Chattahoochee River water from the City of Atlanta through ten master meters, and runs about 91 miles of sewer lines. The Water and Sewer Division is at (770) 306-6855 on weekdays; it does not publish an after-hours number on its page, so for a weekday street-side problem call that line or City Hall at 770-964-2288.

Where do leaks usually hide in Union City homes?

The housing here is mostly newer, with a median build year of 2002, though about 23% of homes predate 1980 around the older parts of town near Union Street. In newer subdivisions, leaks tend to start at fittings, supply hoses, water heater connectors and irrigation lines. In older homes, original valves and service lines are more likely. A plumber narrows it down by closing the house shutoff to separate the yard line from indoor plumbing, then isolating branches and listening along the pipes until the leak is in one small area.

Does fixing it require a permit?

Often, if pipe is replaced. Union City's Community Development office issues building, plumbing and other permits through the city's online iWorQ portal, from its office on Union Street. Small repairs at a fixture may not need one; the plumber can tell you which applies to your job. Union City also runs a backflow prevention and cross-connection control program through its Water and Sewer Division.

One local note

Before the plumber arrives, take two meter readings an hour apart with nothing running and write them down. That gives the plumber a measure of how much water is escaping and helps separate a dripping fixture from a line that has opened up. If you see water spreading inside, close the main shutoff and leave it off until help arrives.