Irrigation systems are a frequent and frequently overlooked source of water loss. The pipes are shallow, extensive and entirely out of sight.
Why irrigation leaks go unnoticed
The garden is meant to be wet. A leaking irrigation line simply looks like watering, and because the system runs on a timer, often at night, nobody is watching when it happens.
The signs
A patch of garden noticeably greener or wetter than the rest. Soggy ground that never dries between watering cycles. Reduced pressure at sprinkler heads. A meter that moves when irrigation is off. Sinking soil along a pipe run. And frequently, a bill that is high with nothing wrong indoors.
Common failure points
Fittings and connections work loose over time. Sprinkler heads crack or are damaged by garden maintenance. Valves fail and pass water continuously. Shallow lines are struck during planting. UV degrades any pipe left exposed above ground.
How to test it yourself
Switch the irrigation system off at its valve and watch the meter for an hour. If it moves, the leak is elsewhere. If it stops when irrigation is isolated but runs when it is on, the irrigation system is confirmed as the source.
Locating the leak
Irrigation lines are usually plastic and shallow, which suits tracer gas particularly well — acoustic detection is less reliable on plastic. The line is isolated and drained, gas is introduced, and the escape point is detected at the surface.
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