If your Black Hawk meter registers use with every fixture closed, or part of a floor turns warm or damp, a water line under the concrete may be leaking. The City of Black Hawk Water Department supplies the whole city, and the plumbing in and under your building is a private repair. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Black Hawk.
Black Hawk is a former gold-mining settlement known as the City of Mills, now a small casino town of restored historic buildings along North Clear Creek that shares a National Historic District with Central City. Many buildings are old, and many have been renovated, so the pipe under a slab could be aging copper or galvanized steel or newer plastic. The City treats North Clear Creek, Dory Hill wells and springs and Clear Creek water at two plants, disinfects with chlorine gas, and adds soda ash for corrosion control. That treatment is aimed at protecting pipe, and nothing in the City's information links the water to slab leaks.
What to do now
- Do a meter test. Close every fixture, read the meter, wait an hour, and read it again.
- Check the easy causes. Toilets that refill quietly and dripping outdoor faucets.
- Isolate the water heater. Close its cold inlet; if the meter stops, suspect a hot line.
- Feel for warmth. Walk tile and lower-level floors barefoot.
- Limit damage. Shut the main if water surfaces and move belongings.
- Have it located. Pressure testing and acoustic listening should come before any concrete is cut.
Symptoms and likely causes
| Symptom | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Warm stripe on a floor | Hot line leaking beneath it |
| Meter creeping, floors cool | Cold-side leak or service line leak |
| Rusty water at a tap | Old galvanized pipe in the system |
| Damp lower-level carpet | Water rising through the slab |
| Low flow at one fixture | Leak on that branch |
Cost factors
- Time to isolate and pinpoint the leak in an older system
- Spot repair through the slab versus a reroute through walls and ceilings
- Historic or stone surfaces that are costly to open and restore
- Drying wet walls, trim or carpet
- Permits: the City's Building Division services are contracted to SAFEbuilt, and building permit questions go to Community Planning and Development
In an older building, ask the plumber how the exposed pipe looks before choosing; worn pipe usually argues for a reroute. In a commercial or mixed-use building, let the property manager know early, since access through shared walls or ceilings may need to be coordinated.
Slab Leak Repair questions in Black Hawk
Could the local water be wearing out the pipe under my floor?
Does slab leak work need a permit here?
Can a cold snap cause a leak under the slab?
What is the fastest meter test for a hidden leak?
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