What a hidden sprinkler leak really costs

An irrigation leak rarely announces itself. A cracked main or lateral line, a stuck valve, or a broken sprinkler head can run every cycle (or continuously) for weeks before you notice it on a bill — and by then the water and money are long gone. Set your numbers below to see what a leak in your system actually costs, then see how much a flow meter saves by catching it the first time a zone runs high.

Most 1″ residential systems flow 2–25 gallons per minute.

Underground and off-season leaks often run for weeks unnoticed — a flow meter catches them the same day.

$ per 1,000 gallons

Pre-set to a Boulder, CO combined water & sewer estimate for over-budget (leak-tier) usage. Check your own bill and adjust — the US average runs roughly $5–8.

Water wasted

161,280

gallons — about 5,376 full bathtubs

Money wasted

$2,258

added to the water bill

Caught on day 1 vs. left running

Caught on day 1 with a meter

$161

11,520 gallons before the alert

Left running 14 days

$2,258

161,280 gallons down the drain

A flow meter that flags the leak the first day would have saved $2,097 and 149,760 gallons.
At 8 gpm running 14 days straight, that’s 11,520 gallons a day. An EveryDrop flow meter would have flagged it the first time that zone ran high.
Shop flow meters

Estimate only. Assumes a continuous leak; actual use varies with pressure, run schedule, and utility rate tiers.