Wet ground between the street and the house

Record where water appears, without disturbing it

Describe the wet area relative to the curb, house entry and irrigation beds. Say whether it persists when watering has stopped and after recent rain has passed. A photograph from firm ground is safer than lifting turf or pushing a rod into the soil.

Keep people and vehicles away from ground that is sinking, washed out or unusually soft. Water surfacing near a public main belongs in a utility report as well as your description of the private-property concern.

Identify the meter before interpreting it

A meter records water passing through its own location. If a suspected section is upstream of an indoor meter, a still display cannot rule out loss on that section. The order of the curb stop, service pipe, meter and building shutoff matters.

For Highlands Ranch Water customers, the district’s published responsibility boundary places the service line from the curb stop to the building with the homeowner. Do not transfer a neighboring district’s different boundary to this address.

Separate locating from excavation

Ask whether the proposed investigation is intended to confirm a leak, trace a pipe or identify a likely repair area. Those are related tasks with different limits. A mark showing a utility route is not a guarantee of leak position.

Excavation needs the required utility notification and any private-line locating. Colorado 811 does not include unregistered private facilities in an ordinary request. Discuss irrigation, outdoor power and other privately installed lines before anyone breaks ground.

Agree on property access and restoration

Tell us about gates, paving, retaining structures and shared land along the suspected route. Confirm address acceptance, utility coordination and who can authorize the work. If repair is later proposed, settle the excavation, removing excavated soil and restoration scope separately from the initial investigation.