locating irrigation leaks Cancel The title field is required!

1. Jennings Dustin T

   
   5/28/2013 12:05 PM

   My irrigation system is running on city water from a backflow preventer. the meter behind the backflow preventer shows my water usage in cubic ft. Currently I have no "visible" leaks on the golf course but the meter is showing movement in the system to the tune of 8 cu ft/hr. With city water rates, that only about $6 a day, but monthly it adds up. How do I find a leak I cannot see on the surface?

   
   
   
   
2. Rocky Tharp

   

   0 posts
   
   5/28/2013 1:05 PM

   You might check to see if you've hit an irrigation line while installing drainage. We've had small leaks under subsurface drainage that just flowed into the perforated pipe and out into the storm sewer. We've also discovered leaks that were in "no mow" areas that were flowing over the surface into a catch basin but no one ever went in that area so we didn't realize it.
   
   Rocky Tharp
   Interbay GC
   Seattle, WA

   
   
   
   
3. Richard Lavine

   

   3 posts
   
   5/28/2013 6:05 PM

   Dustin,
   I would start the search by isolating sections of you main line and checking flow. Proceed around your course until you are able to shut down the leaking section. Once you find the bigger area, then isolate laterals as much as possible. If you have a smaller area isolated, you might be able to listen for the leak with a probe attached to a metal valve on your system.
   You might ask for assistance from your water agency with their leak detection team. There are also private contractors who do leak detection.
   Good luck with this.

   
   
   
   
4. James Schmid

   

   1 posts
   
   5/29/2013 1:05 AM

   Maybe it is more than one leak. Maybe you have multiple small leaks. At $6/day you may spend more trying to find and repair the leak(s).

   
   
   
   
5. Kenneth Ingram

   

   18 posts
   
   5/29/2013 7:05 AM

   Lake fills or drains also. Especially if they are underwater now. Stuff you might have opened during winterization and forgot about. Kenneth Ingram, UMD