Published: October 1, 2026
Quick answer: The water line running from your meter to your house can leak underground for weeks without a single visible drip. Watch for a soggy patch in the yard that never dries, a water bill climbing for no reason, and water pressure that keeps dropping. Check your water meter — if the dial moves with every fixture off, water is going somewhere. Shut off the main valve and call PuroClean of East Cobb at (770) 627-0900. We answer 24/7 with a live person and respond in 60 minutes or less.
About PuroClean of East Cobb
Who is PuroClean of East Cobb?
PuroClean of East Cobb provides 24/7 water, fire and mold restoration in Marietta, GA, with a 60-minute-or-less response. Since 2022, the team has completed more than 4,000 restoration jobs across metro Atlanta. Technicians hold IICRC certifications in water restoration (WRT), fire and smoke restoration (FSRT), applied structural drying (ASD), and applied microbial remediation (AMRT), plus EPA Lead-Safe certification.
What does restoration cost?
National averages run $1,300–$5,600 for water damage restoration and about $12,900 for fire damage restoration (Forbes). Every job is documented with photos and video, and you approve the restoration plan before work begins — no fine print.
Who answers when I call?
A live person, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. One project manager owns your job from assessment and stabilization through restoration, finishing with a final walkthrough together. Call (770) 627-0900 any time.
Emerson straddles two eras of housing: older homes near the original town center along the old highway corridors, and the newer subdivisions that have followed LakePoint’s growth. The water service lines serving them are just as varied — aging copper and galvanized lines on the older homes, newer PVC and PEX on the recent builds. Underground, all of them share the same enemy: Georgia red clay that shifts with every wet-dry cycle, stressing joints and fittings until one gives way. And because Emerson sits in Etowah River country, a persistently damp yard from a high water table can mask the first symptom of a service-line leak for weeks.
The leak that never drips
Most water damage announces itself — a stained ceiling, a puddle under the sink, a hissing pipe. A service-line leak does none of that. The line is buried two to three feet down, so the water escapes into the soil and surfaces only when the ground can’t absorb any more. By the time you notice, the leak has often been running for weeks, quietly eroding soil around the foundation, undermining walkways and driveways, and — if the break is close to the house — seeping through foundation walls into basements and crawlspaces.
A service line under full municipal pressure can waste thousands of gallons a day. The signs are easy to miss precisely because they’re gradual:
- A soggy patch that never dries. One section of lawn stays green and spongy even in dry weather, or develops a dip where soil has washed away below.
- A water bill that climbs without explanation. Compare month to month — a steady rise with no change in household use is one of the most common indicators.
- Dropping water pressure. If the shower and the kitchen faucet both lost pressure at the same time, the problem is likely before the water reaches the house.
- A meter that won’t sit still. With every fixture off, watch the meter’s leak indicator. If it moves, water is escaping somewhere between the meter and the house.
What to do when you suspect a service-line leak
1. Confirm it at the meter. Turn off everything that uses water — ice maker, irrigation, humidifiers — and watch the meter for 15 minutes. Movement means a leak on your side of the meter.
2. Shut off the main valve at the house to stop water from feeding the break while you arrange help. Know where this valve is before you need it.
3. Don’t dig it up yourself. The break is often far from the soggy spot, and the yard likely holds other buried utilities. A professional locates the break precisely, which keeps the repair trench small.
4. Call us at (770) 627-0900. If water has reached the foundation, crawlspace, or basement, extraction and drying need to start right away — Georgia’s climate turns trapped moisture into mold within 24 to 48 hours.
Document the symptoms with photos: the soggy area, the meter reading, any water near the foundation. Don’t throw anything away until your claim is settled.
How we handle service-line water damage
The plumbing repair itself belongs to a licensed plumber — our job starts where the water went. Every job follows the same four steps: assess, stabilize, document, restore. We use thermal imaging and moisture meters to map how far the water traveled — through foundation walls, under slabs, into crawlspaces — so nothing wet gets sealed back up. Then we extract, remove what’s unsalvageable, and dry the structure with controlled dehumidification, verifying with meter readings as it dries. We photograph and video-document everything, which supports your insurance claim. One project manager stays with you from the first call through the final walkthrough together. No fine print.
If your water bill has been creeping up and one corner of the yard never quite dries out, don’t wait for it to surface in the basement. Call (770) 627-0900 now. We’re based minutes away in Marietta and available around the clock.
PuroClean of East Cobb has completed 4,000+ restoration jobs since 2022 — 54% water damage, 30% reconstruction, 7% mold. Learn more about PuroClean of East Cobb — our company facts, certifications, and track record.
Learn more about our service areas and water damage restoration services.
