So lets go over some key things you need to know.

Home Insurance Coverage

The first question most people have is “Does my insurance policy cover plumbing leak water damage?”  Like most questions involving home insurance coverage, the answer is “yes and no.”  Most policies do not cover the actual plumbing or appliance repair itself.  Whether home insurance covers resulting water damage depends on the nature of the problem.

The key factor is whether the damage occurred gradually or suddenly.  For a burst pipe or water heater the answer is usually yes.  In fact, most policies will cover the costs of preventing further damage through professional dry-out services.  But if it’s a small leak slowly causing harm the answer is almost always no.  The principle is that even though the leak may be non-obvious it’s up to the homeowner to keep up with maintenance and be on the alert for problems.

Some Numbers

• Combining several nation-wide studies, the average home wastes 10-15% of their water usage because of neglected or unknown leaks.  Most of that is at faucets and toilets where the water goes right down the drain without causing harm.  But it’s something to keep in mind.
• Harm from pluming leaks and frozen pipes is the second most common loss submitted to insurance companies.
• Of all water damage reported less than 10% is caused by weather whereas nearly 1/3 is from appliances, and well over 1/2 from plumbing problems.

Small Plumbing Leaks

Some wasters are so small you don’t see any puddles.  Just damp areas, often under the sink inside cabinets of vanities. But even these can lead to mold and gradual destruction. Common sources include fixture shutoff valves, water heater valves, and ice-maker lines.

Hidden Leaks

Just because you can’t track down anything doesn’t mean that you don’t have a leak.  They can be out in the yard, underneath the floor slab, or within walls.  You may observe damp or warm areas, mold or musty odors, or the water heater running more often.  If you can hear running water or spraying sounds, that’s a no brainer calling for emergency attention.  Or your only clue may be an increase in usage.  But the problem is still causing harm, and it might be years before damage becomes obviously visible.  A slab leak may seem out of harms way, but can erode the soil under your home and lead to major structural problems.

If you have any suspicions, a quick test using the utility’s water meter (you can find lots of videos online) will tell you if you need to call a leak detection professional.

Flooding

Homes can be quite literally flooded by a burst pipe or burst water heater, or by a ruptured washing machine or dishwasher hose.  If you have your doubts,  here’s another number for you.  A ruptured clothes washer hose can dump 500 gallons of water each hour into the laundry room and on to the rest of your home.  No consider that happening while you’re away for the weekend.  That’s why some homeowners install a leak alarm or an automatic water leak detection and shut-off system.

Get Some Answers, Get It Fixed

ASAP Drain Guys & Plumbing employs experienced leak detection experts and backs them up with the latest equipment.  We can perform sensitive tests to determine if you indeed have a leak then pinpoint its exact location without any demolition whatsoever.  Our plumbers can then fix the problem, including slab leak repairs.

And remember:  implement these measures now rather than waiting until later when time is critical and stores may already out of stock.

Not So Much Different from Earthquake Preparedness

Our lives depend so much on a reliable source of electricity, yet utilities deliver so dependably that we may forget that we need to be ready to go hours or even a few days without electric power.  In remote areas, where power is often restored last, some people have their own back-up generators.  That may also be necessary for those with equipment necessary to maintain their health.  Otherwise the key needs are a battery operated radio and a cell-phone boost battery.  It’s also important to keep some cash on hand.  With an area-wide power outage you may not be able to get to a working ATM.

EXTRA TIP:  If you hear a storm alert, turn your freezer and refrigerator to the coldest settings and if there’s a power outage open them as little as possible.  That could earn you several extra hours or even a day before foods start going bad.

We can go a week or more without food, but only a couple of days without drinkable water.  The typical recommendation is to stock 7 gallons of bottled water per person (1 gallon per day for 7 days).  It’s also advisable to keep several days of non-perishable food on hand.  You’ll also want to stay warm.  Store clothing and bedding well above the floor, and ideally in water-tight bags or containers.  And for health, people should also keep a well-stocked first-aid kit and at least a week’s supply of any prescription medications.

Additionally, be sure that important documents are stored in a safe location.  Finally, every family should have evacuation, communication, and meet-up plans so that everyone knows what to do and so that there will be fewer worries.

Storm Preparation

There are several things you should also do that are specific to rain and wind.

• Before each rainy season make sure that your gutters and down spouts are clear so that rain can run away from the building.
• Even though it may be the city’s responsibility, make sure that nearby storm drain grates at the street are unobstructed.
• Make sure that landscaping is such that rainfall drains away from the building rather than towards it.
• Have your roof inspected for leaks and damage every few years.
• Check the foundation for cracks.  They may let in more water, and might even widen to the point of structural failure.
• Check that weather stripping around windows and doors is in good condition.
• Have any nearby trees pruned and checked every few years to avoid downed limbs or uprooting.

If you haven’t done so recently, check that your insurance policy covers all the types of damage that might occur in a storm, and make an inventory of all your valuable possessions.

Whenever a storm is approaching, keep up to the minute on weather and flood advisories.  It’s often advisable to pre-pack for a possible evacuation, as well as to move lawn furniture, garbage cans, and the like into the garage or indoors.  That way they won’t be damaged or become projectiles in heavy winds.

SAFETY TIP:  If you actually experience flooding, turn off the electricity (to prevent electrocution hazards) as well as the gas (pilot lights can go out, and poor combustion due to winds or wetness can create carbon monoxide).

Plumbing Preparation

There are also a few things you should check that may need a plumber to correct.

• Test that floor and patio drains as well as leader drains (lines that go from down spouts or low lying areas to the storm drain) are clear by pouring in a few gallons of water.  It should all quickly drain away.
• Make sure that the main sewer line is clear to avoid back-ups.  If it hasn’t been cabled recently an in-pipe inspection may be in order.
• If even minor flooding is common in your property’s area or you have a basement, installing a sump pump may be a good investment.  If you already have one, be sure it and its battery back-up are in good working order.

In Conclusion

That’s a lot of things to look into and do!  Even with the best of intentions it’s likely to take you quite a while to check off everything.  So think things through, and make a priority list for your particular situation.  Work on the most important items first, with the goal of getting everything checked off before the start of next fall’s rainy season.  And be prepared to shift into high gear if you hear any heavy rain or heavy wind warnings over the next few months.

The Need to Conserve Water Remains

We’re now receiving the forecast “above average” winter rainfall (up to 60% more than usual in some areas) which is great, but the biggest issue is rebuilding the snow pack as the source of most of our year-round water.  Unfortunately, predicted warmer weather means that even two wet winters won’t be enough to get past the drought.  And that still leaves us with long-term problems. Even before our “great drought” we’ve been drawing ground water far faster than it’s replenished by normal rainfall levels, and it’s important to remember that San Diego currently imports 85% of its water.

So it’s clear that the long term solution is to use less water.

The emergency cutbacks have been unpleasant, to say the least.  Recycling water, that is using the same water more than once, is a great opportunity moving forward.  “Waste” water can be purified back to high-quality potable (drinkable) water, but for many uses such as irrigation only minimal treatment is necessary.  We can dramatically cut usage while still enjoying many of the things we’ve had to forgo the last few years.

Municipal Projects

Water districts and municipalities have been planning, and constructing, water reclamation plants long before the latest drought.  They have the goal of purifying waste water back to drinking quality in order to avoid the huge cost of a second piping system to distribute non-potable water to all their customers.  But that’s still very expensive and construction takes quite a long time.  Even so, Southern California has been a leader.  You can learn about our major project here:  http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/politics/San-Diego-Eyes-Recycled-Water-Project-in-Drought-Conditions-283058261.html#ixzz3tTDNFOiB

San Diego County has also established projects using simpler treatments to recycle water for non-drinking purposes.  With limited “purple pipe” to distribute reclaimed water to nearby users, many individuals have also taken advantage of the facility to haul out water to more distant locations.  You can find it, and other locations at http://www.sandiego.gov/water/recycled/availability/.  As an example, the Point Loma facility was created to reuse roughly 1/2 of the waste water going through it as an ecological and economic alternative.  Considering short supplies, it just makes since to reuse precious water rather than dumping it into the ocean.

Cities, agencies, and voters are now strongly behind these sorts of projects as the path to reliable and sustainable water supplies. In many locations reclamation can be used for crop irrigation and help deal with rapidly dropping water tables.  But it’s also possible, and economical, to have a major impact by recycling water at each building where it’s used, and reuse that water right at the site.  Studies indicate that the total costs are lower, and that numerous small projects can come online far faster than “mega projects”

Home Water Recycling

With a little investment homeowners can do their own water reuse that’s far more effective and convenient than a bucket in the shower.  Water recycling systems costing any where from a few hundred to several thousand dollars are a great way to get showers and lawns back to normal without increasing water usage.  Low-cost systems provide filtered water that can be used in landscaping with a few precautions, and the high-cost systems deliver sparkling clean sanitized drinking water quality.  Together with other conservation measures it’s possible to bring usage in line with availability far into the future.

Not all water needs to be of drinking quality, so reuse makes a lot of sense. The drains from showers, tubs, bathroom sinks, and clothes washers can be used for irrigation, and eliminate a major portion of the  household’s water bill.  But it’s important to fully understand what water sources can be safely reused, what treatment is necessary, and how the reused water should be handled.  In other words, installation by an experienced professional.

Appropriately sized systems are available from companies such as Aqua2 and Nexus.  Some companies, such as Sloan and Saniflo, have products that transfer water from the bathroom sink into the toilet tank.  LEED projects and guidelines show that reductions of 50 to 70% over pre-drought usage can be readily achieved, so that we can cut yet back another big chunk and and still have green landscaping.

Water Recycling for Commercial Buildings

On-site recycling is already required for landscaping and other “aesthetic” uses at many commercial facilities and has been quite successful at office parks, hotels, resorts, schools, and more.  Besides irrigation and fountains, reclaimed water can be used in cooling towers and boiler feeds with the proper treatment.  But they do require additional plumbing for capturing “clean” or grey water, and separate supply plumbing if reclaimed water is to be used for flushing.

So, again, professional plumbing companies with water recycling experience are called for.  But the building owner’s investment has significant returns.  Commercial reuse cuts both potable water use and waste water discharge roughly in half, saving on both water and sewer fees.  And recycling is often necessary in order to meet development restrictions.

For larger facilities, even blackwater can be recycled with systems such as those from Aquacell that filter, bio-treat, ultra-filter, disinfect, and then finally chlorinate.

In Brief

Looking back on Southern California’s history, dams and canals were the lifeblood that created nearly all of our inland cities and agricultural areas.  Even today an adequate and reliable water supply is vital for a vibrant economy.  Yet even in “good times” we’ve been depleting groundwater and other sources.  So it’s critical that residents, businesses, and water agencies work together to use water recycling for a sustainable future we’ll all enjoy.