On a Thursday morning like any other, Phillip Berkley pulled up to a home in the College Glen neighborhood, ready to investigate.

As one of three water conservation representatives for the City’s Department of Utilities, he specializes in tracking down elusive leaks and helping homeowners save water.

“Our team inspects an average of 50 leaks across the city each week,” Berkley said.

Those leaks are detected automatically by the City’s water conservation program, which sends notification letters to homeowners. Customers can also sign up to receive leak-alert texts or emails on the City’s website.

At this particular home, Berkley’s biggest challenge wasn’t the leak itself… it was maneuvering around the homeowner’s three nosy-but-friendly dogs, who barked and darted around his legs as he worked.

“We’re typically able to find the cause in about 30 minutes, depending on the size of the house and how many water features there are,” he said.

Luckily, the dogs were just an amusing obstacle that day that didn’t slow him down. Phillip found the leak in about 10 minutes.

“My first step was to confirm with the homeowner that they weren’t currently using any water, then I checked the meter to see if there was any flow before and after shutting off the home’s supply valve,” Berkley explained. “In this case, I determined it was a leak in the main pipe that delivers water from the City to her home, which can be costly to repair.”

To help with those costs, Berkley informed the homeowner about the City’s rebate program, which offers up to $500 for leak repairs.

Low-income homeowners in disadvantaged communities may even qualify for free repairs.

“That’s my favorite part of the job—connecting customers in need with resources to help them save water and money,” he said.