What to Do When an Irrigation Line Bursts (Before the Guru Arrives)

One moment your sprinklers are running like normal, and the next you’ve got a small geyser, a flooded flower bed, or water pouring down your driveway. A burst irrigation line or broken sprinkler pipe can waste hundreds of gallons an hour—and in Metro South Atlanta, that can happen fast with our clay soils and high static pressure.

The good news: you don’t need to panic. With a few quick steps, you can safely shut things down, protect your landscaping, and set yourself up for a clean repair when The Irrigation Guru arrives at your home in Senoia, Peachtree City, Newnan, Fayetteville, Sharpsburg, Tyrone, or the surrounding Metro South Atlanta area.

How to Recognize a Burst Irrigation Line

Not every wet spot means you have a major irrigation leak, but there are a few telltale signs that you’re dealing with a broken pipe or lateral line instead of just an overwatered zone:

• Geyser effect: A tall spray or jet of water shooting straight up from the soil or from a broken sprinkler body.
• Sudden sinkholes or mushy areas: A section of lawn that quickly turns into a sponge while the zone is running.
• Water running where no head exists: You see water bubbling up from the ground or mulch, several feet away from any visible sprinkler.
• Very low pressure in that zone: Several heads barely spray or don’t pop up fully because most of the water is escaping at the break.

These symptoms almost always point to a cracked pipe, broken fitting, or snapped riser underground in the affected irrigation zone.

Step 1: Stay Calm and Turn Off the Irrigation Water

The first priority is simple: stop the water. You’ll typically have two options:

1. Turn off the irrigation at the controller.
   Switch the system from “Auto” to “Off” or “Rain” mode. This stops any scheduled watering but won’t help if a valve is stuck open or the line is leaking after the cycle.
2. Shut off the irrigation supply at the main or backflow.
   Most homes in South Atlanta have an irrigation shutoff near the meter or right before the backflow preventer. Turn that valve slowly to the off position until the water stops flowing.

If you’re not sure which valve controls the irrigation system, or if turning valves doesn’t seem to change anything, it’s okay to shut off the main house water temporarily until the situation is under control.

Step 2: Keep People and Pets Clear of the Area

A burst irrigation line can quickly undermine the soil. Areas that look like just wet grass can sometimes hide voids or soft spots, especially near slopes, retaining walls, and walkways.

• Keep kids and pets off the affected section of lawn.
• Avoid driving equipment or vehicles through the area.
• Be cautious walking near standing water if there are electrical components nearby.

Once the system is off and water has stopped flowing, things will stabilize and you’ll be able to see the true extent of the damage.

Step 3: Do a Quick Visual Assessment

You don’t need to dig or start cutting pipe to help a professional. In fact, that often makes the repair more complicated. Instead, focus on documenting what you see:

• Which zone was running when the leak appeared?
• Did water erupt near a specific head, valve box, or section of yard?
• How quickly did the area flood—seconds, minutes, or over an entire cycle?
• Is the leak close to a driveway, sidewalk, structure, or slope?

Take a few photos or a short video on your phone. This helps The Irrigation Guru quickly pinpoint the problem area when we arrive and can speed up the diagnostic process.

Step 4: Avoid Common DIY Mistakes

It’s tempting to grab a shovel right away, but with irrigation systems, a little restraint goes a long way. The most common homeowner mistakes we see in Metro South Atlanta include:

• Digging blindly: Hitting additional pipes, control wires, or fittings while trying to “find the leak.”
• Using the wrong repair fittings: Slip-fix and generic couplings installed in the wrong places that crack again shortly after.
• Cutting too much pipe: Removing long sections instead of making a clean, minimal repair.
• Patching with flex pipe: Flexible pipe used as a shortcut in high-pressure mainline or lateral sections, leading to more breaks later.

If you love DIY projects, there are irrigation repairs you can safely tackle. But a true burst line, especially on older systems or in tricky soil, is often faster and cheaper to fix correctly the first time.

Step 5: Call a Local Emergency Irrigation Repair Specialist

Once the water is off and the area is safe, it’s time to get on the schedule. A burst irrigation line rarely “gets better” on its own, and leaving it unresolved can cause:

• Root rot and plant damage.
• Erosion around sidewalks, driveways, or foundations.
• High water bills from unnoticed leaks in other zones.
• Pressure issues across the rest of your irrigation system.

The Irrigation Guru specializes in emergency irrigation repair across Senoia, Peachtree City, Newnan, Sharpsburg, Fayetteville, Tyrone, Palmetto, Fairburn, Union City, Jonesboro, Lovejoy, McDonough, Sunny Side, Griffin, Williamson, Brooks, and the surrounding Metro South Atlanta area.

When you reach out, sharing a few key details helps us come prepared:

• Your city and neighborhood.
• Whether the system is currently off at the main or just at the controller.
• Which zone was active when the leak appeared (if you know).
• Any photos or videos of the leak location.

Step 6: What You Can Safely Do While You Wait

While waiting for your emergency irrigation repair, you can:

• Gently push standing water away from structures or low areas using a broom or squeegee.
• Temporarily rope off or mark the soft area so no one walks or drives through it.
• Turn off automatic watering schedules in your controller until the repair is complete.

You generally don’t need to dig or expose the pipe before we arrive—our diagnostic tools and experience help us locate and repair the broken irrigation line efficiently without unnecessary damage.

How to Prevent Future Burst Irrigation Lines

While no system is break-proof, a few proactive steps dramatically lower your risk of future emergency calls:

• Annual system inspection: A professional walkthrough before peak season can catch weak fittings, poor glue joints, or stressed areas.
• Pressure regulation: Many Metro South Atlanta homes have high static water pressure. Installing pressure-regulated heads or a master pressure regulator protects the entire system.
• Seasonal adjustments: Updating run times and checking zones every spring and fall keeps your irrigation system tuned to your landscape.
• Smart controller and leak alerts: Some modern controllers can detect abnormal flow and shut down suspect zones automatically.

A well-designed, well-maintained irrigation system is less likely to suffer catastrophic failures—and when something does go wrong, it’s usually easier to repair quickly.

Have a burst irrigation line right now, or think you might have a major underground leak?
Request Emergency Irrigation Repair