Stop the water now
- Turn the controller to Off. If the water stops, a zone was running and the break is on that zone’s line or a head. It only leaks while the zone runs, so leave the controller off until it is fixed.
- Still running? Close the sprinkler shutoff. Water that keeps flowing with the controller off means a valve is stuck open or the main line is broken. Many homes have a separate shutoff on the line that feeds the valves.
- No sprinkler shutoff? Close the main water shutoff to the house.
- On a private well? Switch the pump off at its breaker.
- Then call us. Tell us your address and what you see.
Next: call ACRE
Once the water is off, call or text (559) 203-7881 with your Fresno address and what you found. We’ll get you on the schedule as fast as we can. Our Fresno location is open Sunday through Thursday 5 AM–9 PM and Friday 5 AM–6 PM, and closed Saturday.
If you reach voicemail, leave your address and what is happening, and we will call you back as soon as we can. Once the water is off, a broken line can usually wait for a scheduled repair without more damage.
A valve that won’t shut off
A zone that keeps running after the controller is off usually has debris in the valve, a torn diaphragm, or a solenoid stuck open. If your valve has a flow-control handle on top, turning it all the way clockwise can close it until we get there. Otherwise, close the sprinkler shutoff.
See our guide on a sprinkler valve that won’t shut off for more.
Main line or zone line? Why it matters
Your sprinkler main line runs from the water supply to the valves and is under pressure all the time. When it breaks, water runs nonstop until someone shuts it off. The zone lines after each valve only hold water while that zone runs, so a break there floods only during its cycle.
That is why the first step is the controller. If turning it off stops the water, the break is on a zone line. If it doesn’t, it is the main line or a valve stuck open.
Water in Fresno
From April 1 to October 31, odd-numbered addresses water Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and even-numbered addresses Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. From November 1 to March 31, odd addresses water Saturday only and even addresses Sunday only. No watering on Mondays, and never between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
See the full Fresno watering schedule.
What the repair involves
On site we locate the leak, open a small hole right at it, replace the broken pipe or fitting, and pressure-test before we backfill. A valve that sticks gets cleaned, rebuilt or replaced. Every zone runs before we leave. See sprinkler pipe repair in Fresno and valve repair in Fresno.
In Fresno: why it can’t wait
In Fresno, water running onto the sidewalk or street between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. is exactly what the City’s schedule is meant to stop, and a broken line runs around the clock. Shut it off first, then call.
About Fresno
Fresno summers are hard on sprinkler parts. At the Fresno Yosemite International Airport station the average July high is 97.7°F and the area averages about 38 days a year at 100°F or hotter, according to NOAA’s 1991–2020 climate normals. Seals, solenoids and plastic risers wear faster in that heat.
Fresno had 542,107 residents at the 2020 census and sits at about 308 feet above sea level. Incorporated on October 21, 1885.
The Tower Theatre, built in 1939 at Olive and Wishon Avenues, anchors the Tower District north of downtown.
Nearby communities
Nearby: Emergency sprinkler repair in Malaga (4.8 mi), Emergency sprinkler repair in Easton (6.0 mi), Emergency sprinkler repair in Clovis (7.6 mi). Distances are straight-line from the center of Fresno.
Written by ACRE Landscape Inc, Fresno & Clovis. Updated October 30, 2026.