Quick answer
Garden irrigation leaks usually come from cracked solenoid valves, UV-perished poly-pipe joints, or rodent damage to drip line. Because the water soaks straight into the garden they can run for months unnoticed, and they are a frequent cause of an unexplained bill increase. Isolating the irrigation feed at the manifold and watching the meter tells you within minutes whether the garden is responsible.
Common causes
- Cracked solenoid valve body or perished diaphragm in the manifold
- Poly pipe perished by UV where it runs above ground
- Rodent damage to drip line, common in winter
- Tree roots crushing or displacing a buried line
- Joints pulled apart by ground movement or by digging
- Sprinkler head sheared off at ground level by a mower
What you can do now
- 1Isolate the irrigation feed at the manifold and watch the water meter for movement
- 2Run each zone one at a time and walk the line looking for pooling or unusually green patches
- 3Inspect the manifold for weeping solenoids while the system is at rest
- 4Check exposed poly pipe for the chalky, brittle look of UV perishing
- 5Cap off a suspect zone and re-test to confirm before digging anything up
When to call a professional
If a zone will not pressurise, or the meter keeps moving with the irrigation isolated on the house side, book a manifold and line check. Repeated leaks on UV-perished pipe are usually a sign the whole above-ground run is at end of life — replacing the run costs less than a series of call-outs plus the water lost between them.
Typical cost in Johannesburg
R650–R1,800 for typical repairs
Indicative ranges only. We provide written, itemised quotes before any work.
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