Leak Detection in Poway, CA

Where does the city's side end and mine begin?

The City of Poway treats its own water at the Lester J. Berglund Water Treatment Plant and bills water and sewer together on one city account. Its cross-connection ordinance defines the service connection as ending at the downstream end of the water meter. The code doesn't spell out ownership of the pipe beyond that point, so if you find water surfacing between the meter and the house, call the city first and let staff tell you whose repair it is. Customer Services is at 858-668-4401; after 3 p.m. on business days and on weekends and holidays, the city routes calls to the Water Treatment Plant at 858-668-4751. Anything inside the house, from the main shutoff to the fixtures, is plumbing for your own plumber.

Why do faucets and toilets here start dripping so often?

Mostly minerals. The City of Poway reports hardness of roughly 228 to 235 ppm as calcium carbonate on average, with a range of 165 to 291 ppm. Water that hard leaves scale on cartridges, valve seats and toilet fill valves, and once a seal can't close fully it begins to seep. The city also uses both chlorine and chloramines for disinfection, and some rubber parts age faster in chloraminated water. A toilet that refills by itself every so often is one of the most common hidden leaks a plumber turns up, and it rarely makes noise.

Is a house from the 1970s more likely to leak behind a wall or under a floor?

The odds go up with age. Poway's median home was built around 1978, so many supply lines, angle stops and water heater connections are well into their fifth decade. Copper pinholes, failing solder joints and stiff old valves are typical. On hillside lots, long yard lines and irrigation runs add more buried pipe where a leak can hide. A plumber will test the house and the yard separately, using the meter, line isolation and listening gear to find the spot before cutting.

One more Poway rule

If a backflow assembly on your irrigation or fire line is leaking, Poway requires every device to be tested each year at the owner's expense by a certified tester on the city's approved list, so repairs to the assembly are yours to arrange. Permits for larger repairs go through the city's Building Services, which takes submittals electronically only.