- Turn everything off, then watch the low-flow indicator.
- Close the building shut-off to separate inside from outside.
- Isolate irrigation to separate sprinklers from the service line.
1. Find your meter
In the City of San Luis Obispo, the meter is generally in a box in the sidewalk in front of the property, not on your private property (City of San Luis Obispo). The lid is usually marked "water" or "meter." Lift it carefully with a screwdriver or meter key; watch for spiders and don't reach in blindly.
2. Get to know what you're looking at
- The register: the numbers that record total water use.
- The low-flow indicator: a small triangle, star or disc that spins with even a tiny flow. This is the part that reveals leaks.
- Two valves: the City's valve on the street side of the meter, and your customer valve on the property side, closer to the house. Only ever use your customer valve.
Many San Luis Obispo meters now have an AMI radio attached. You can still read the dial, and if you have portal access, your usage graph offers a second view.
3. Turn everything off
Stop all water use: taps, toilets (let tanks finish refilling), dishwasher, washing machine, ice maker, water softener and every irrigation zone.
4. Watch the low-flow indicator
Watch for a few minutes. If it doesn't move, you don't have a significant active leak. For very slow leaks, photograph the full register reading, avoid using water for one to two hours, and compare. Any change means water is escaping.
5. Close the building shut-off
Close the main valve where the water line enters the house. Then watch the meter again.
- Meter stops: the leak is inside the house.
- Meter keeps moving: the leak is outside, in the service line or irrigation.
This is the method in the City's own Check for a Water Leak guidance.
6. Isolate the irrigation
If your sprinklers are fed from the line outside the house, close the irrigation supply valve (often at the backflow preventer) and check again. If the meter now stops, the leak is in the irrigation. If it's still moving, it's the water service line.
7. Reopen valves slowly
Open valves gradually. Snapping a valve open or shut causes water hammer, a pressure shock that the City notes can damage pipes, particularly after a leak.
What to do with the result
| Result | Where to go next |
|---|---|
| Leak inside the house | Indoor plumbing check: toilets, water heater, fixtures |
| Leak in irrigation | Irrigation repair |
| Leak in service line | Water line leak repair |
| Leak at the meter or street side | City of San Luis Obispo Utilities Department |
A service line result means the leak is somewhere on the buried pipe between the meter and your house. Our water service line repair page explains how it's pinpointed and fixed, and our overview of water line repair in San Luis Obispo covers ownership and costs.