Do I have a leak in the water line from the well to the house?

I was replacing the supports for my front steps today and was digging new holes for the posts. After digging about 2 1/2 feet deep I notice water starting to fill in the hole. It seemed to ooze from the direction where my well is located. I know I didn't cause a break by digging because I was no where near the pipe. I decided to dig up the lawn towards the well and struck water again at about 2 feet deep. Could I have a leak in my main water line or well? Or is it possible the ground could have absorbed all this water from a recent rainy day?

Any suggestions how I can confirm a leak?

Mike

Turn off the valve to the house or make sure no one in the house uses water, then watch the pressure gauge. If the pressure drops, water is going somewhere.

Ah...of course! Thanks. I'll do that right away and will let you know what I find. Thanks for the incredibly quick response!

Well, I shut off the main water valve and monitored the pressure gauge. It never budged. So I figured I'd run the water until the pump kicked in just to make sure I was reading it properly. PROBLEM...the pump kicked in, but the pressure gauge still didn't move! The electrical component must be reading the pressure properly because the pump kicked in to draw more water. I guess I'll have to just painfully sit by and wait to see if the pump kicks in when no water is being used in the house.

Mike

If you have a check valve at the pressure tank in the house, the pressure inside might never drop, but the line outside could still be leaking.

I guess I'll call in a professional to have a looksee.

Thanks.

You can disconnect the water line and pressure test it with an air compressor. Be sure to have a good quality gauge in line to read the pressure. If you can build & hold pressure, you're ok, but it sounds like there is a leak someplace. Maybe in the drop pipe down the well.