5 Signs Your Sprinkler System Could Be Wasting Water, Again

Posted on February 16th, 2026

A green lawn is great, but a surprise water bill isn’t.

In San Jose, the water bill can add up fast, so your sprinkler setup should do its job without wasting a bunch behind your back.

To be short, keep an eye out for puddles, runoff, soggy spots, or mildew that keeps coming back. Those are usually clues something’s off, even if the yard still looks fine.

But for a more in-depth look, keep on reading to see the five signs that point to waste, plus what you can handle fast and when it’s time to call a pro.

5 Signs Your Sprinkler Is Wasting Water

Spotting waste early keeps your yard healthy and your water bill from creeping up. In San Jose, that matters because long dry stretches can turn small irrigation problems into expensive habits. The tricky part is that a yard can look fine while the system quietly loses gallons through poor coverage, bad pressure, or a leak you never see.

Start with your bill, but don’t stop there. A sudden jump in usage is a clue, not a verdict. Look for patterns in the yard and in how each zone behaves. Run one zone at a time and watch what the heads do from the first second to the last. Pay attention to sound, spray shape, and how fast the soil takes water. A good setup delivers steady streams, even arcs, and consistent coverage. A wasteful one tends to hiss, fog, overshoot, or keep feeding the same spot like it’s on a mission.

Here are the five signs your sprinkler could be wasting more water than it should:

1. Your bill spikes, even though the weather, guests, and watering days stayed the same, which often points to a slow leak or a control issue that runs longer than you think.
2. One zone looks weak, with a short throw or sputter, while another blasts hard, which can mean a pressure problem, a partially closed valve, or a line restriction.
3. Spray turns into a fine mist or “smoke,” especially mid-cycle, since high pressure and worn nozzles can atomize water and let wind carry it away.
4. Heads keep dripping after the zone shuts off, which may signal a faulty valve, low head drainage on a slope, or debris stuck in a seal.
5. Plants grow in odd patterns, like one bright green strip along a path or a single thriving patch near a head, which can indicate overspray, a cracked riser, or a head that is tilted.

After you spot a red flag, check the basics with a homeowner’s mindset and a pro’s patience. Walk the lines between heads and feel for soil that stays soft long after a cycle ends. Look for tiny streams at the base of a head, not just obvious puddles. On slopes, watch for water sliding downhill, since runoff often means the soil can’t absorb what the controller is pushing. Also notice sidewalks and driveways. If they get washed every time, you are paying to water concrete.

Finally, take a look at your controller settings and any sensors. A schedule that made sense in spring can waste a lot in late summer. If a rain or soil sensor is installed, test it, since a dead sensor is basically a decoration. Regular checks keep small issues small, and that is the whole game.

When It’s Time to Call a Professional Repair Technician

Some sprinkler issues are fair game for a handy homeowner. Others turn into a time sink fast, and that’s when a professional repair technician earns their keep. The goal is simple: stop water waste without guessing, swapping parts at random, or accidentally creating a bigger problem underground.

A common tipping point is when the system’s behavior stops matching what the controller says it’s doing. You set a schedule, yet zones run at odd times, cut off early, or keep going longer than planned. That can be a settings problem, but it can also be a wiring fault, a failing solenoid, or a valve that sticks half open. Those are tough to spot without a meter, experience, and the patience to trace a problem back to the source.

Design problems are another reason to bring in help. If coverage overlaps heavily in one area while another area stays thirsty, it may not be about head direction at all. It could be the wrong nozzle sizes, mixed head types on the same zone, or spacing that never made sense for your yard. A technician can test pressure, match the right parts, and balance flow so each zone waters evenly.

Three example scenarios when you definitely need to call a pro:

• The system loses pressure across a whole zone, or several heads stop popping up, which often points to a valve issue, a crushed line, or a break below grade.
• The controller shows errors, resets itself, or zones run on their own, since electrical problems usually involve wiring, solenoids, or a failing timer.
• You keep replacing the same parts, like heads, risers, or fittings, because repeated failures can signal a bigger issue with installation depth, alignment, or pipe movement.

Another clue is drainage behavior. If water keeps dribbling from heads long after a cycle ends, the fix might be simple, but it also might involve low head drainage on slopes, a valve that will not fully close, or debris stuck where you cannot reach it. A pro can isolate the valve, check for backflow concerns, and make sure the system shuts off cleanly.

Calling someone early can also protect your landscape. Hidden leaks can soften soil around walkways, undermine edging, or send water toward a foundation over time. A technician can run a proper inspection, pinpoint the fault, and fix it with fewer surprises. That usually beats chasing symptoms one weekend at a time.

Quick Fixes You Can Try While You Wait for a Pro

If you’ve spotted a problem but can’t get a pro out right away, you can still cut down on water waste with a few smart checkups. The goal here is not a full repair. It’s damage control that keeps your yard from getting flooded in one spot and crispy in another.

Start by running one zone at a time and actually watching it. A sprinkler system can look “fine” from the window while it sprays the sidewalk, hits the fence, or mists into the breeze.

Pay attention to the shape of the spray, the reach, and any heads that lag, chatter, or stay down. Those little quirks often point to simple issues like grime in a nozzle or a head that got nudged by a mower.

Pressure is worth a quick read, too. When pressure is too high, spray turns into fog and drifts away. When it’s too low, heads dribble and leave dry rings. You can’t fully diagnose pressure without tools, but you can spot the obvious symptoms and avoid wasting cycles while you wait.

Quick DIY fixes that reduce waste right away:

• Clean clogged nozzles with a gentle rinse and a soft brush, then reinstall them snugly so they seat correctly.
• Straighten tilted heads and reset the spray direction so water lands on plants, not pavement, siding, or fences.
• Dial back the controller run time a little if puddles form quickly, then recheck after the next cycle to confirm the soil absorbs it.
• Check for slow leaks at the base of heads and risers, then hand-tighten loose fittings and replace cracked spray bodies if you have a matching part.

After those basics, do a fast walkaround for hidden trouble. Look for extra green streaks along a path, soil that stays soft hours later, or a head that keeps dripping after shutoff.

Those signs can mean a valve issue or low-point drainage, and those are usually not DIY friendly. Still, spotting them now helps you avoid wasting water, and it gives the technician a clear starting point.

These steps won’t solve every issue, but they can reduce overwatering, limit runoff, and keep your bill from climbing while you line up a proper repair.

Let Marquez Landscape Take Care of Your Lawn Irrigation & Drainage Issues in San Jose

A sprinkler system should keep your lawn healthy, not quietly inflate your water bill. The tough part is that waste often looks normal at first, just a little extra moisture here, a dry corner there, a controller that seems set correctly.

Simply being aware of small things helps you avoid bigger repairs, patchy turf, and water that never reaches the roots that need it. Small issues in your sprinkler system quietly stack into bigger problems for your lawn and your water bill.

At Marquez Landscape, we handle irrigation and drainage systems professionally, so leaks, uneven coverage, and pooling water get addressed as one connected problem instead of quick fixes that don’t last.

A properly balanced system protects your turf, reduces waste, and keeps your landscape working the way it should. Get your consultation today!

Reach out anytime by phone at (408) 625-9576 or email at [email protected].