Leak Detection in Fairfax Station, VA

Signs something is leaking

• A bill that keeps climbing without a change in routine
• The meter's flow indicator turning while nothing runs
• A wet or extra-green strip between the street and the house
• Water stains on the lower-level ceiling or drywall
• A water heater that runs more often than it used to
• Faint hissing near the main shutoff, or a valve that drips at the stem

Fairfax Station conditions

Fairfax Station began in 1851 as a stop on the Orange and Alexandria Railroad and is now a mostly residential, car-dependent part of southern Fairfax County along Ox Road and the Fairfax County Parkway, near Burke Lake Park. The median home was built in 1982, which puts original shutoff valves, water heater connectors, toilet parts and fittings in finished basements squarely in the age range where leaks start.

Fairfax Water owns the meter. The homeowner owns the water service line from the meter to the house and all the plumbing inside, so a yard line leak is a private repair. Where the house sits well back from the road, that buried line can be long, and a leak in it may soak into the soil for a long time before the lawn shows it. Fairfax Water's customer service line is 703.698.5800; after hours, its automated system lets you press 2.

If you have underground lawn irrigation, Fairfax Water requires the backflow assembly to be tested when installed, every year and after any repair. The zone lines past it are another place water can quietly disappear.

Cost factors

• Length and depth of the buried service line if the leak is outside
• Number of bathrooms and finished areas to rule out indoors
• Detection equipment such as acoustic listeners and thermal cameras
• Whether a fitting repair or a new section of line is the right fix

When you call

An independent plumber who serves Fairfax Station will take your call. Mention your meter results, how long the bill has been rising and where you've seen water or damp ground. If you have irrigation, say so, because the plumber will likely want to rule it out before looking anywhere else. If the repair needs a permit, Fairfax County Land Development Services issues residential plumbing permits through PLUS, at 703-222-0801.