Turn off every faucet and appliance, then look at the meter. If the little dial keeps spinning, water is leaking somewhere, likely under the slab.
Find your main shutoff, usually near the front of the house or at the meter, and turn it off to stop the loss while you wait for a plumber.
A hot water line leak makes a warm patch. Feel around and mark it. This helps the plumber narrow the search.
With everything off, put your ear near the warm area or a wall. A faint hiss or trickle is a strong sign of a pressurized pipe leaking.
Many homes in Watsonville, Aptos, and Prunedale sit on concrete slab foundations, with the water lines run beneath or inside that concrete. When one of those pipes springs a leak, the water has nowhere to go but into the ground under your house. A warm spot means it's the hot line, and a spiking bill means it's been running longer than you think.
Slab leaks come from a few things: pipes rubbing against the concrete over years, corrosion in older copper, and ground movement. Our valley has clay-heavy soil that swells when the winter rains come and shrinks as it dries out in summer. That constant shift puts stress on the pipes below, and a small weak point can turn into a steady leak.
Locating it is the key part. A good plumber uses acoustic listening gear and pressure testing to pinpoint the leak without tearing up your whole floor. Once they know the exact spot, they can open just that area, reroute the line, or repair the section, depending on your home and the pipe's condition.
Don't wait on this one. A slab leak wastes water every hour and can weaken the ground under your foundation, warp flooring, and grow mold. If you see the signs, shut off the main and call. We reach most of Santa Cruz County and the Pajaro Valley in about 45 minutes.
Describe what you're seeing to a real Watsonville plumber: call (831) 555-0130 or send the form. Free, no obligation.