Sprinkler system leak or high water bill? How to find it in a west Orlando yard

By the Orlando West editorial team · Reviewed October 20, 2026 · Updated October 20, 2026 · Sources: UF/IFAS, SJRWMD watering restrictions, Florida Climate Center

A higher-than-usual water bill in October catches a lot of west Orange and south Lake homeowners off guard. The afternoon storms have thinned out, the controller is doing more of the work, and any weak point in the sprinkler system is now running on every allowed day instead of hiding under free rain. EPA WaterSense says homes with clock-timer irrigation systems use about 50 percent more water outdoors than homes without them, and that number climbs when a system is leaking or set up badly. So when the bill moves and the house looks fine, the irrigation side deserves a look before anything else.

Orlando West Irrigation is a matching service. We connect Central Florida homeowners with a local irrigation tech who confirms the problem, scope, and price. We do not dig up pipe from this page, and we do not give plumbing advice for leaks inside the house. What this guide does is help you narrow down whether a leak is in the sprinkler system, where it probably is, and what to tell the tech so the first visit is useful.

Why do sprinkler leaks show up on fall water bills?

Three things line up in fall in Winter Garden, Horizon West, and Clermont.

First, storms stop masking the problem. In July a cracked lateral pipe can leak into ground that is already soaked, and nobody notices. Once rain eases, the same leak leaves a soft, green, or muddy strip that does not match the rest of the lawn.

Second, the controller runs more often. If you reset the clock after the rainy season (our fall irrigation schedule reset guide covers that), every leak now runs on each allowed day. A broken head on a busy zone can dump a lot of water in a few minutes.

Third, small leaks add up quickly. EPA WaterSense estimates that an irrigation leak about 1/32 of an inch across, roughly the thickness of a dime, can waste about 6,300 gallons a month. Its Sprinkler Spruce-Up page also warns that a system with leaks and broken heads can lose up to 25,000 gallons of water and about $280 over a six-month irrigation season. Those are national estimates, not a forecast for your address, but they explain why a modest crack can show up clearly on a bill.

How do I check whether the leak is on the irrigation side?

Start with the meter, then move outside. You do not need tools for the first pass.

Step 1: Meter test with the house quiet. EPA’s Fix a Leak Week guidance suggests reading your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used; if it moves at all, you probably have a leak. Turn off indoor taps, the dishwasher, the washing machine, the ice maker line if you can, and make sure the sprinkler controller is not scheduled to run. Many meters also have a small leak indicator (a tiny dial or triangle) that spins with very low flow.

Step 2: Separate the irrigation line if you can. Many west Orange homes have a shutoff valve on the irrigation supply, often near the backflow preventer. Some neighborhoods also have a separate irrigation meter, and homes on reclaimed (reuse) water usually have a different supply with purple lids. If closing the irrigation shutoff stops the meter from moving, the leak is very likely in the sprinkler system. If the meter still moves with irrigation shut off, the leak may be on the house side, and that is usually a plumber or utility question rather than an irrigation match.

Step 3: Look between cycles. EPA WaterSense advises looking for water pooling on the surface between irrigation cycles, because that can be a sign of an underground leak. A day after the last run, walk the yard. Note soggy spots, a strip that is greener than everything around it, sinking soil, or mud along a sidewalk edge.

Step 4: Watch each zone run. On an allowed watering day under SJRWMD watering restrictions, run one zone at a time and walk it. Look for heads that bubble at the base, gush instead of spraying, never pop up, or spray onto the driveway. A geyser usually means a missing nozzle or broken riser. Low pressure across the whole zone with a wet spot in the middle often means a cracked pipe.

Where do sprinkler systems in west Orlando usually leak?

Most leaks fall into a few patterns. Knowing which one you are seeing helps the tech bring the right parts.

• Valves that do not fully close. EPA WaterSense notes that if valves cannot shut completely, the system can slowly seep water even when it is turned off. The classic sign is the lowest head on a zone weeping or pooling for hours after the cycle ends. Open the valve box lid and look for standing water or a hissing sound. Our head vs valve vs controller guide explains how valve problems differ from head problems.
• Broken heads and risers. Mower strikes, cars along the curb, and edging tools crack heads and risers. These leak only while the zone runs, but they can leak a lot. EPA’s checklist suggests flagging any broken head so you can find it again later.
• Joints between heads and pipes. WaterSense notes that leaking joints can be a sign of too much water pressure or particles in the water, and suggests checking that the pressure regulator is installed properly.
• Cracked lateral or main lines. Roots from oaks and palms, settling soil, and old digging can crack PVC under the turf. A main-line crack (the pipe that stays pressurized up to the valves) often leaks all the time, which is why the meter test matters. A lateral-line crack leaks only when that zone runs.
• Backflow preventer. A drip or spray at the backflow device near the house is worth a photo. Some backflow work is regulated or handled by specific licensed trades, so let the matched tech confirm who should handle it.

What should I do while I wait for a tech?

Keep it simple and safe.

1. If a head is gushing, turn that zone off at the controller, or close the irrigation shutoff if you know where it is.
2. Do not just raise run times or add days to “make up” for brown spots near the leak. That wastes water and can break your watering-day rules.
3. Leave the rain sensor active. Florida Statutes section 373.62 requires automatic landscape irrigation systems to have technology that interrupts them when there has been enough rain, and bypassing it during a leak hunt only makes the bill worse.
4. Take photos of the wet spot, the valve box, the running head, and the meter reading with a date and time.
5. Mark the spot with a flag or a stick so it can be found after the grass dries.

Do not dig near the street edge or a meter box yourself. Utility lines, the meter, and anything on the utility side belong to the utility or a licensed professional.

What should I put on a quote request for a sprinkler leak?

The more specific you are, the faster a matched tech can triage. When you request a quote, include:

1. City or ZIP, for example Clermont, Minneola, Winter Garden, or Horizon West.
2. What you saw: meter moves with the house off, wet spot between cycles, water in a valve box, gushing head, or low pressure on one zone.
3. Whether the leak runs all the time or only when a certain zone runs, and the zone number if the controller shows it.
4. What you already tried: irrigation shutoff closed, zone turned off, photos taken.
5. Water source if you know it: potable, separate irrigation meter, or reclaimed.

Pick Sprinkler repair on the form when you have a broken head, a leak, or a valve that will not shut off. Our sprinkler repair page explains what that kind of visit usually covers. If you are in south Lake County, the Clermont irrigation page covers what local systems tend to look like, including hilly lots where low heads drain after every cycle.

When is a high water bill not a sprinkler problem?

Sometimes the irrigation system is fine. If the meter keeps moving with the irrigation shutoff closed, the leak may be inside the house, such as a toilet flapper or a water heater, or on the service line between the meter and the house. EPA notes that the average household’s leaks can waste more than 9,300 gallons a year, and many of those are indoors. A plumber or your utility is the right call there, not an irrigation match.

A bill can also rise because the controller is running more often or longer than you think, for example after a power outage resets the program or a Wi-Fi app reverts to a default schedule. In that case check the controller and timer page first. A schedule fix costs nothing; a leak repair does.

Sprinkler leak checklist (copy this)

1. Read the water meter with everything indoors off and the controller idle.
2. Close the irrigation shutoff and see if the meter stops.
3. Walk the yard the day after a cycle and flag soggy or extra-green spots.
4. Run each zone and watch for gushing, bubbling, or heads that stay down.
5. Check valve boxes for standing water or hissing.
6. Photograph everything and request a local irrigation tech.

Request a local irrigation tech · sprinkler repair · head vs valve vs controller

Sources

• EPA WaterSense: Sprinkler Spruce-Up
• EPA WaterSense: Fix a Leak Week (checking for leaks, outdoor leaks)
• SJRWMD watering restrictions
• Florida Statutes section 373.62