Checking Your EPCOR Meter for a Leak in Sun City
Learn how to check water meter for leak signs at a Sun City home, using an EPCOR audit kit and a station-by-station test to find an irrigation leak.
Irrigation Guides5 min read
EPCOR supplies nearly 24,000 connections in its Sun City Water District, and every one has a meter that can show a hidden loss. Turn off every fixture and the irrigation, watch the meter, then repeat with each station running alone to find which part of the system is leaking.
Knowing how to check water meter for leak signs is the cheapest diagnosis there is. It needs no digging, it separates house leaks from irrigation leaks, and it gives anyone you call a clear starting point. This guide walks through the test as it applies to a Sun City home on EPCOR water.
Who supplies the meter at a Sun City home?
In most of Sun City the meter belongs to EPCOR Water Arizona's Sun City Water District, a private utility with rates approved by the Arizona Corporation Commission. Sun City has no city water department. Check the bill to confirm, because a mailing address alone does not prove which district serves a lot.
EPCOR's 2025 water quality report describes nearly 24,000 service connections drawing groundwater from the West Salt River Valley sub-basin. The meter at the curb records everything that passes, house and yard together, which is why the test below isolates the irrigation.
How to check water meter for leak signs, step by step
Close every tap, then watch the meter's low-flow indicator for several minutes. If it moves with nothing running, water is leaving somewhere. Then shut the irrigation supply and look again: if the movement stops, the leak is on the irrigation side.
The full sequence:
- Turn off all indoor fixtures, the ice maker, any water softener cycle and the evaporative cooler if it uses water.
- Switch the irrigation controller to off.
- Read the meter, or watch the low-flow indicator, for at least ten minutes.
- Close the irrigation shutoff, if there is one, and watch again.
- Reopen it and run each station alone for a few minutes, watching for pooling and for the meter racing on one zone.
EPCOR offers a free audit kit that makes this easier. Its kits page lists a meter flow bag, a drip gauge, toilet dye tablets and a landscape watering card, requested by email with the account number.
What does a water meter leak test tell me about the irrigation?
A water meter leak test tells you whether water is moving and, by shutting things off in turn, roughly where. Movement with the irrigation supply closed points indoors. Movement that stops when the irrigation is closed points to the mainline or a valve. A meter that races on one station points to that station's lateral.
| Result | Most likely location |
|---|---|
| Meter moves with everything off, stops when irrigation is shut | Irrigation mainline or a seeping zone valve |
| Meter moves even with irrigation shut | Indoor plumbing or the service line |
| Meter normal at rest, races on one station | Break on that station's lateral or a missing head |
| Meter normal, one area always wet | Low head draining after each cycle, or runoff |
EPA WaterSense adds that water pooling between cycles can indicate an underground leak, which pairs well with the meter result.
Does the type of Sun City lot change the search?
Yes. On the shared-wall patio homes and duplexes built across Del Webb Blvd from 1969, a leak near a common wall needs prompt attention and a conversation with the neighbour. On Viewpoint and Dawn Lake lots, soft ground near the water can hide a slow loss. The Del Webb Sun Cities Museum history notes those patio homes share walls but have no homeowners association.
That matters because nobody else maintains the ground between them. Homes in the older section south of Grand Avenue date from the 1960s, so any original yard plumbing there is among the oldest in the community, and a meter test is a sensible first check before any digging on those lots.
What can EPCOR help with?
EPCOR's Sun City tariff provides for help with high water use. Trained staff take inquiries, and a field technician may be sent, on request or when warranted, to verify consumption and run a leak detection inspection. On request EPCOR will also confirm meter accuracy, with meter testing fees applying.
The tariff also has EPCOR track usage and notify customers when it looks excessive for the time of year. If a notice has already arrived, our high water bill guide covers what it lists. The utility's help confirms that water is being lost; finding and repairing the irrigation break is a separate job.
Next step in Sun City
When the meter points to the irrigation, start with irrigation leak detection in Sun City. A confirmed mainline or lateral break is handled under PVC pipe and mainline repair in Sun City. The irrigation leak detection page explains the method, and the Sun City service area lists every local service.
FAQ
How long should I watch the meter for a leak test?
- At least ten minutes with every fixture and the irrigation off. A slow irrigation leak may only nudge the low-flow indicator. For a stronger check, read the meter before bed and again in the morning with nothing running overnight.
Where is the water meter at a Sun City home?
- It is usually in a box near the street or sidewalk at the front of the lot. Lift the lid carefully, watch for insects, and do not tamper with the meter or its connections. EPCOR owns the meter in its Sun City Water District.
What is in the EPCOR audit kit?
- The kit arrives with instructions, and the meter flow bag is the piece that matters most for this test. Customers request one by email with their name, address, phone and EPCOR account number.
The meter moves only when one zone runs. Is that a leak?
- Every zone moves the meter while it runs. A leak shows when one station moves it far faster than similar stations, or heads on that station lose reach. Look for pooling or soft ground along that station's pipe route.
Can EPCOR check whether my meter is accurate?
- Yes. EPCOR's Sun City tariff says that, on request, the company will confirm the accuracy of the customer meter as part of a water audit, with meter testing fees applying. Ask EPCOR about the current fee before requesting the test.
Sources
- 2025 water quality report epcor.com
- kits page epcor.com
- EPA WaterSense epa.gov
- Del Webb Sun Cities Museum delwebbsuncitiesmuseum.org
- tariff epcor.com