Water leak under the hous

Question

A friend in Missouri got a $150 water bill last month. She figured it would be a toilet leaking so she put in new guts. The meter slowed down and ran normally for 6 or 7 days and then started running continuously again. The water company came out and changed the meter but it continued to run the same. How bad a leak can this be?

Answer 1

She need to try and find the leak. Turn off the supply to the house at the tap between the meter and the house. If the meter is moving, then the leak is in the line between the house and the meter. Next, she should check her hot water heater. The tank could be leaking, or the pressure/temperature valve could not be seated. Otherwise, she should be able to see a leaking line, drips from a faucet, or hear a running toilet. Basically, if she has everything off in the house and the meter runs, there's a leak somewhere.

Answer 2

Turn the water main off at the house, go look at the meter for movement, if it is still turning, your water main is leaking. if not then turn the main valve back on and go in the bathroom and turn the shut off to the toilet, then check the meter again, if the meter is not turning, the toilet may be leaking. If not and  the meter is still turning, then the leak is somewhere else. Check all the shutoff valves so they are turned off, if the meter is still turning, you probably have a slab leak.

Answer 3

It would sound like the toilet is the culprit again, but surely that's the first thing your friend checked. Did she do the job of 'putting in new guts' or was it done by a certified plumber? Something's really strange here, unless an underground supply pipeline failed somewhere between the meter and the house and it hasn't shown up above ground yet.