Earthquake Leaks: Hidden Dangers in San Ramon

0:00It's April 16th. You're listening to California News today, AI-powered local news. I'm Corey with the story. Weeks after a swarm of earthquakes hit the San Ramon Valley, leak experts in the East Bay are dealing with a big spike in busted pipes. A 4.2 magnitude quake struck near San Ramon on Monday after a 3.8 and several smaller shakes. Little visible damage at first, but now underground leaks are popping up under homes and businesses everywhere. Those like Steve Mayer from USA leak detector say calls are through the roof way more than usual. They're finding complete pipe breaks with no clear cause like roots or age and homeowners spacing water bills as high as $2,000. Most suspect the quakes ship things loose underground. One San Ramon resident, Will Chow, filled his house rock during back-to-back quakes last month. He spotted water seeping up at odd times, first blaming his sprinklers. Turns out, his sewer line was fully severed, needing major digs to fix even though the

1:00pipes were built to last decades. Experts are spotting red flags like a spinning water meter with no use or ignored notices from the water company leading to shock bills. They use acoustic tools and thermal imaging to find leaks up to 8 feet down. Mayer pushes automatic shutoff valves you control by app and switching to flexible pecs pipes that bend with the ground. From line, even if your place looks fine post quake, check those signs fast. Insurance windows can close in just 2 weeks, so call pros early and prep the dodge the next hit.