Leak Detection in Pittsboro, NC

My bill jumped after the utility changed. Is it a leak?

Possibly, but rule out the paperwork first. The Town of Pittsboro's water and sewer operations moved to TriRiver Water, run by the City of Sanford, on July 1, 2024. Three subdivisions outside town limits, Chapel Ridge, Laurel Ridge and The Parks at Meadowview, are billed and serviced by Aqua, a private company, and residents there have reported very high water rates. A higher dollar amount can come from rates rather than water use, so compare the gallons on each bill. If usage in gallons climbed while your routine stayed the same, a leak is more likely.

The quickest home test is the meter. Shut off every fixture, note the reading and look again after an hour with no water used. Any movement means water is going somewhere past the meter.

My house is new. Where would a leak even be?

Pittsboro's housing is newer than most of the area, with a median build year of 2002 and only about 11% built before 1980, and Chatham Park is still adding homes. New construction rarely has worn-out pipe, so leaks tend to be at connections: toilet fill valves and flappers, supply lines to sinks and the ice maker, water heater fittings, irrigation lines and fittings disturbed during later work. Hot water lines under a slab are another possibility, often showing up as a warm spot on the floor.

I'm on a well outside town. How is that different?

Outside town limits, some homes are on county or TriRiver lines and others are on private wells, depending on address. Chatham County requires connection to county water where it's available. On a well there's no bill to watch, so look for a pump that runs with nothing on, pressure that drops in the tank, or a wet strip along the line from the well. A plumber can test the system section by section.

A note on permits

Chatham County Central Permitting & Inspections handles building and plumbing inspections for the Town of Pittsboro as well as unincorporated Chatham County. If finding the leak leads to replacing a supply line or water heater, the plumber can tell you whether a permit is needed before work begins.