Whose leak is it? The meter, the curb and your side
Indiana American Water, which serves most of Greenwood, owns the main in the street and the service line up to its shutoff valve near the curb. Everything from that valve to your house is the customer-owned portion. Some addresses on Greenwood’s south and west side are served by the Town of Bargersville water utility instead; your bill tells you which one you have.
If water is bubbling up at the meter pit or curb box, call your utility first. If the leak is anywhere between there and the house, it’s yours to find and repair, and that is the part of the line we test.
Lead service lines: Indiana American Water runs a program that replaces lead service lines, including the customer-owned side, at no direct cost to the customer. If your line turns out to be lead, ask the utility before paying for a replacement.
Signs the buried line is leaking
- A strip of lawn that stays soggy, greener than the rest, or sinks slightly along the path from the meter to the house.
- Low water pressure everywhere in the house at once, not just one faucet.
- The meter keeps moving after you close the main shutoff in the house. This one test separates a yard leak from an indoor one.
- Water seeping into the basement or crawl space on the street side of the house, where the line comes through the wall.
- A higher bill in a month when nothing changed, often the first sign in winter when the lawn doesn’t show anything.
Clay soil hides these leaks well. Water often follows the gravel bedding of the pipe trench and surfaces several feet from the break, or doesn’t surface at all. A wet spot is a clue, not the location.
Think you have a leak? Call and tell us what you’re noticing in your Greenwood home.
(877) 729-0265How we pinpoint a leak in the yard
- Confirm it’s outsideWith the house shutoff closed, a moving meter proves the leak is between the meter and the house.
- Trace the routeService lines don’t always run straight to the front door. We locate and mark the path so every listening point is on top of the pipe.
- Listen along the lineA ground microphone picks up the sound of water escaping under pressure. Metal pipe carries that sound well, and the noise peaks right over the leak.
- Use tracer gas on plastic pipePE and PVC lines carry little sound. A safe hydrogen and nitrogen mix is pushed into the line and detected where it rises through the soil.
- Mark and reportThe spot is flagged or painted on the lawn, driveway or sidewalk, with photos and notes for whoever makes the repair.
Pipe materials in Greenwood service lines
| Pipe | Where you’ll see it | Detection method |
|---|---|---|
| Copper | Many homes from the 1960s through the 1990s | Acoustic listening works well |
| Galvanized steel | Older homes near Old Town | Acoustic; these lines often have several weak spots |
| Polyethylene (PE) or PVC | Many newer subdivisions | Tracer gas, since plastic carries little sound |
| Lead | Rare, mostly very old homes | Ask Indiana American Water about its replacement program |
Under the driveway, sidewalk or a tree
Many Greenwood service lines pass under a driveway or a front walk. Pinpointing matters most here: one cut through concrete at the right spot costs far less than a trench, and sometimes the better answer is to bore a new line beside the old one. See water leak under the driveway.
Before anyone digs, Indiana law requires a call to Indiana 811 at least two full working days ahead so gas, electric and cable lines are marked. Your plumber handles this for the repair.
Once the leak is found
A single leak in a line that is otherwise sound can usually be fixed with one small excavation at the mark. A line that has leaked more than once, or is old galvanized steel, is often better replaced. Both options are covered in water line repair in Greenwood.
Water Line Leak Detection: questions from Greenwood homeowners
Who is responsible for a water line leak in Greenwood?
The utility (usually Indiana American Water, or the Bargersville utility for some addresses) owns the line up to its shutoff near the curb. The line from there to your house is the homeowner’s to repair.
How do I know the leak is in the yard and not the house?
Turn off all water, then close the main shutoff valve inside the house. If the meter still moves, the leak is in the buried line between the meter and the house.
Can you find a leak in a plastic water line?
Yes. Plastic lines carry little sound, so we use tracer gas, a safe hydrogen and nitrogen mix that rises through the soil at the leak, along with line tracing.
Why is my yard wet in one spot but the leak is somewhere else?
Water follows the gravel bedding around the pipe and moves through gaps in clay soil, so it can surface several feet from the break. Acoustic listening or tracer gas finds the actual leak.
Do I need to call 811 before the line is dug up?
Yes. Indiana law requires contacting Indiana 811 at least two full working days before digging so buried utilities are marked. The plumber making the repair normally places the request.
Guides that go deeper
Sources: Indiana American Water; Town of Bargersville Water Utility; Indiana 811; Indiana Administrative Code, Title 327. Updated October 1, 2026.