Big Wet Spot in the Yard?
Look for a Broken Line

A large wet or muddy spot in the lawn can be a sign of a broken sprinkler line underground. This is especially common if the wet area shows up when the sprinklers run, or if one zone suddenly has very low pressure. In Idaho the freeze-thaw cycles every winter put stress on irrigation lines, particularly on systems that are now reaching the end of their service life.

Where to Look First

Trees are a big thing to watch for. Roots can grow around sprinkler lines and eventually crack, crush, or pull them apart. In areas like Boise's North End, Eagle and the older neighborhoods in Nampa near Lake Lowell where mature trees are common, root intrusion is one of the more frequent causes of broken lines we see. If the wet spot is near a tree, large shrub, driveway, or fence line, there is a good chance something underground has been damaged.

• Wet area appears or gets worse during or after irrigation cycles
• One zone has noticeably lower pressure than the others
• Soggy ground near a tree, fence, driveway or sidewalk
• Water meter showing movement when no irrigation is running
• Soft or spongy ground in one area of the yard

Is It an Emergency?

A broken lateral line that is actively flooding your yard or getting near your foundation is worth treating as urgent. If water is running continuously and causing damage, visit our emergency service page and submit a request right away. For a wet spot that shows up during normal watering cycles and is not actively flooding, we can get it scheduled through our standard repair process.