It LOOKS like an underground spring, but its so close to the house I would be skeptical.
2nd guess would be a gas leak in a puddle, but you said no smell.
GardenDivaESQ
Looks like a spring to me
Spiritual_Magazine69
A miracle?
MoonerMade
I agree that is what a new spring looks like, but a burst in a water main (before the meter) could look similar
halothar
It could be leaking before your water meter?
If it’s not a leak, it’s a spring. In fact, this looks just like the spring we have in the lower field. That would be a really cool feature to have in the yard. Nice place with cold, fresh water to dip your feet in on hot days. How cold is the water? Like 60° cold or out of the tap cool?
I hope it’s a spring. Are you in an area where springs are common?
Hucklebearer_411
Doesn’t look like a bubblin’ crude to me, Jethro.
Border-landsPD58
Gas doesn’t smell. The odorant is added by humans.
Miles_High_Monster
Has it been raining a lot lately, if so, it could be a spring coming to life again. If not, probably a water main causing an underground cavern and sinkhole. Best to keep clear of it, and keep calling whatever utility you have for water.
choate51
Get a sample and run it by your city water company or run by a pet store and get some test strips by the fish tanks. If it’s chlorinated it’s from the municipal water system.
OldArtichoke433
Yes that is a break in the main and of course before your meter so the meter is not tolling, thus no charge. Free irrigation. Bottle it up before they get there!
JG-UpstateNY
I was reading the comments and need clarification.
Is this “leak/spring” occurring between your house and the street? You said the water meter was closer to the street? In most cases, the water meter is at the house or in the house if it’s a smart meter, so your comment confused me.
We had a leak in our water main this spring. Our water meter is in our basement, so we were never charged for the loss of water. However, the leak got worse, and our water pressure started to drop. We had a water feature bubble up and created a stream that looked similar to yours.
We ended up having to replace the water main from our house to the curb stop. We laid 284 ft of new line because we have a rather long driveway. It was an unglamorous expense.
If it is nowhere near your water line, congratulations! you have a source of water! Use it for gardening or a water feature. If you are concerned, I would test the water, either your State’s Department of Health or check the US Environmental Protection Agency website for information about testing water. This is assuming you live in the States.
Keep an eye out for erosion, and if you live in an area with limestone or other soluble bedrock, it could eventually create a sink hole, though unlikely.
BublyInMyButt
Dig. If you find a pipe. Mystery solved. No pipe, Mystery solved.
If it’s a spring. The options are endless!
Build an old-fashioned well there, a pond. Whatever you choose you’re probably going to want to make somewhere for the runoff to go. Like a little river bed, could line it with water loving plants.
It’ll always just be a muddy mess otherwise.
Could also be temporary, dont do anything crazy just yet.
Was there heavy rains recently?
Stoff3r
Is that deck just covering an old well? Btw post your deck in r/decks 😂
leansanders
Hard to tell from the video, but it looks like the landscape slopes up from here for quite a distance, yeah? And it looks like this hole is at a pebble layer in the soil. If it has been raining recently, its possible that this is a spring that is draining water saturated soil from the uphill area. Definitely worth calling the city to investigate a leaky water line, as even if there isnt a water line right there, a leaky waterline anywhere in the drainfield for that hill could be letting out from this spring.
dmurphy0914
Do you have a sump pump under the house? Could be water discharging from the terminal end of a buried pipe.
lauren_go
Let it also be known that that the city repaired a main water line a little over a year ago. LOTS of rain in Jefferson County, AL lately.
flightwatcher45
Turn of water at street and see if it stops.
Lord_GanUnu
Clams
Rude_Man_Who_Shushes
Sink hole waiting to happen. Alert your township asap
XcdeezeeX
Could be a natural spring
Loose-Ad-4690
Had something like this – it was a town line, so they fixed it and paid for it.
danisaccountant
I had a similar issue. Chlorine test strips will rule out a spring.
It turned out to be a neighbors water leak that was channeling into my backyard.
AnonymousBromosapien
Start prayin that by some sort of miracle its not your main water line lol. Maybe yoi have an irrigation system in your yard?
If its the main and its after the meter, its your problem. And i mean that literally… your homeowners insurance will not cover the cost to repair the main water line to the house because its not in/under the house. Meaning this is going to be a multiple thousand dollar bill.
That main water line is several feet below the surface… and leaking this bad at the surface means its a sizeable leak. Contact a plumber ASAP, because the only result in waiting on repairing a leak like this is your water bill is going to be several hundred dollars every month.
Expect a backhoe digging up your front yard. They can get this done in a day, but make sure they actually backfill with sand or something instead of just tossing in the same rocky soil that caused the punctured line in the first place. You can probably just get a repair of the punctured section done… but if its happening in one area itll probably happen in another before long… especially with all that water washing out soil and letting rocks work their way closer to the water main.
Do your due diligence with a repair company… make sure they warranty their work and are reputable. Make sure they care enough to backfill with sand. Make sure they tamp the backfill. Etc… Otherwise youll get some hack who comes out and does the repair just to have to try to tell them to come back out again in less than a year to fix their repairs.
Positively-positive7
I agree with someone else, it could be a natural stream. Pipes can be detected, call JULIE to locate if the water department doesn’t do something asap.
If not a pipe and is natural, call Department of Natural Resources for your state and speak with a licensed geologist in charge of stream preservation. If this person can’t help you identify this water source, she or he will know who to send you to.
I would love to know what this is if you can get back to us!
BackseatMilitia
Could be a new spring opening up? That kind of gentle flow I’ve seen at the beginnings of rivers and springs so maybe?
Routine-Crew465
It’s amazing how many experts there are in this thread that have no clue what they are talking about and are proving terrible advice.
Report it to the city/town. They should be able to conduct a test for the presence of a disinfectant residual to help determine if it’s potable water or they can operate the property line shut off (curb stop), which would stop the flow of water to the leak. Responsibility for repairs is generally based on property line.
All of the people advising you to ignore it because it isn’t causing you an issue are also the people who complain when rates go up because of water theft.
Maybe you have an artesian well and the water table is high? Personally, I’m guessing a service leak.
SXTY82
Man I wish my spring was in my yard. Mine is in my basement.
elainegeorge
The ground isn’t supposed to do that. Glad I could help.
29 Comments
Maybe a leak in a main water supply
It LOOKS like an underground spring, but its so close to the house I would be skeptical.
2nd guess would be a gas leak in a puddle, but you said no smell.
Looks like a spring to me
A miracle?
I agree that is what a new spring looks like, but a burst in a water main (before the meter) could look similar
It could be leaking before your water meter?
If it’s not a leak, it’s a spring. In fact, this looks just like the spring we have in the lower field. That would be a really cool feature to have in the yard. Nice place with cold, fresh water to dip your feet in on hot days. How cold is the water? Like 60° cold or out of the tap cool?
I hope it’s a spring. Are you in an area where springs are common?
Doesn’t look like a bubblin’ crude to me, Jethro.
Gas doesn’t smell. The odorant is added by humans.
Has it been raining a lot lately, if so, it could be a spring coming to life again. If not, probably a water main causing an underground cavern and sinkhole. Best to keep clear of it, and keep calling whatever utility you have for water.
Get a sample and run it by your city water company or run by a pet store and get some test strips by the fish tanks. If it’s chlorinated it’s from the municipal water system.
Yes that is a break in the main and of course before your meter so the meter is not tolling, thus no charge. Free irrigation. Bottle it up before they get there!
I was reading the comments and need clarification.
Is this “leak/spring” occurring between your house and the street? You said the water meter was closer to the street? In most cases, the water meter is at the house or in the house if it’s a smart meter, so your comment confused me.
We had a leak in our water main this spring. Our water meter is in our basement, so we were never charged for the loss of water. However, the leak got worse, and our water pressure started to drop. We had a water feature bubble up and created a stream that looked similar to yours.
We ended up having to replace the water main from our house to the curb stop. We laid 284 ft of new line because we have a rather long driveway. It was an unglamorous expense.
If it is nowhere near your water line, congratulations! you have a source of water! Use it for gardening or a water feature. If you are concerned, I would test the water, either your State’s Department of Health or check the US Environmental Protection Agency website for information about testing water. This is assuming you live in the States.
Keep an eye out for erosion, and if you live in an area with limestone or other soluble bedrock, it could eventually create a sink hole, though unlikely.
Dig. If you find a pipe. Mystery solved. No pipe, Mystery solved.
If it’s a spring. The options are endless!
Build an old-fashioned well there, a pond. Whatever you choose you’re probably going to want to make somewhere for the runoff to go. Like a little river bed, could line it with water loving plants.
It’ll always just be a muddy mess otherwise.
Could also be temporary, dont do anything crazy just yet.
Was there heavy rains recently?
Is that deck just covering an old well? Btw post your deck in r/decks 😂
Hard to tell from the video, but it looks like the landscape slopes up from here for quite a distance, yeah? And it looks like this hole is at a pebble layer in the soil. If it has been raining recently, its possible that this is a spring that is draining water saturated soil from the uphill area. Definitely worth calling the city to investigate a leaky water line, as even if there isnt a water line right there, a leaky waterline anywhere in the drainfield for that hill could be letting out from this spring.
Do you have a sump pump under the house? Could be water discharging from the terminal end of a buried pipe.
Let it also be known that that the city repaired a main water line a little over a year ago. LOTS of rain in Jefferson County, AL lately.
Turn of water at street and see if it stops.
Clams
Sink hole waiting to happen. Alert your township asap
Could be a natural spring
Had something like this – it was a town line, so they fixed it and paid for it.
I had a similar issue. Chlorine test strips will rule out a spring.
It turned out to be a neighbors water leak that was channeling into my backyard.
Start prayin that by some sort of miracle its not your main water line lol. Maybe yoi have an irrigation system in your yard?
If its the main and its after the meter, its your problem. And i mean that literally… your homeowners insurance will not cover the cost to repair the main water line to the house because its not in/under the house. Meaning this is going to be a multiple thousand dollar bill.
That main water line is several feet below the surface… and leaking this bad at the surface means its a sizeable leak. Contact a plumber ASAP, because the only result in waiting on repairing a leak like this is your water bill is going to be several hundred dollars every month.
Expect a backhoe digging up your front yard. They can get this done in a day, but make sure they actually backfill with sand or something instead of just tossing in the same rocky soil that caused the punctured line in the first place. You can probably just get a repair of the punctured section done… but if its happening in one area itll probably happen in another before long… especially with all that water washing out soil and letting rocks work their way closer to the water main.
Do your due diligence with a repair company… make sure they warranty their work and are reputable. Make sure they care enough to backfill with sand. Make sure they tamp the backfill. Etc… Otherwise youll get some hack who comes out and does the repair just to have to try to tell them to come back out again in less than a year to fix their repairs.
I agree with someone else, it could be a natural stream. Pipes can be detected, call JULIE to locate if the water department doesn’t do something asap.
If not a pipe and is natural, call Department of Natural Resources for your state and speak with a licensed geologist in charge of stream preservation. If this person can’t help you identify this water source, she or he will know who to send you to.
I would love to know what this is if you can get back to us!
Could be a new spring opening up? That kind of gentle flow I’ve seen at the beginnings of rivers and springs so maybe?
It’s amazing how many experts there are in this thread that have no clue what they are talking about and are proving terrible advice.
Report it to the city/town. They should be able to conduct a test for the presence of a disinfectant residual to help determine if it’s potable water or they can operate the property line shut off (curb stop), which would stop the flow of water to the leak. Responsibility for repairs is generally based on property line.
All of the people advising you to ignore it because it isn’t causing you an issue are also the people who complain when rates go up because of water theft.
Maybe you have an artesian well and the water table is high? Personally, I’m guessing a service leak.
Man I wish my spring was in my yard. Mine is in my basement.
The ground isn’t supposed to do that. Glad I could help.
But seriously, call the water dept.