How to stop a sprinkler leak right now
Work from the controller back toward the water supply, and stop as soon as the water does:
- The timer. Switch it to Off. A broken head or zone line goes quiet right away.
- The sprinkler shutoff. If water is still coming, close the valve that feeds the sprinkler system. That stops a stuck zone valve or a main-line break.
- The house main. No separate sprinkler shutoff? Close the main for the house.
- The well pump. On a private well, turn the pump off at its breaker.
Then call or text us with your address.
Two kinds of break
There are two pipes in every sprinkler system. Before the valves is the main line, which always holds full pressure. After the valves are the zone lines, which only fill when a zone runs.
A geyser that stops when you switch the timer off came from a zone line or a head. Water that keeps coming no matter what the timer says is the main line or a valve that is stuck open, and it will not stop on its own.
After the water is off
With the water stopped, reach us at (559) 203-7881 by call or text. Give us the address in Madera, what broke and what you shut off, and 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. We serve Madera from there, about 18.8 miles away.
If nobody picks up, leave a message with your address. With the water off, nothing gets worse while you wait for the repair.
Leaks and the rules in Madera
Madera’s Water Division runs a Water Waste Patrol, and the City’s Stage B rules give five days to fix a leak or sprinkler problem after a citation. Stopping the water now keeps a broken line from turning into a citation.
If one zone keeps running
One zone running nonstop points at that zone’s valve. A bit of sand under the diaphragm, a split diaphragm or a solenoid that sticks will hold it open. Look on top of the valve: if there is a flow-control handle, screwing it all the way down (clockwise) may close it. If there isn’t, or it doesn’t work, close the sprinkler shutoff.
More in our guide: sprinkler valve won’t shut off.
What happens next
The repair itself is usually straightforward once the water is off: find the exact spot, dig the minimum, splice in new pipe and fittings, or service the valve that stuck. We finish by running the whole system. See sprinkler pipe repair in Madera and valve repair in Madera.
Nearby communities
Nearby: Emergency sprinkler repair in Madera Ranchos (10.1 mi), Emergency sprinkler repair in Biola (11.3 mi), Emergency sprinkler repair in Kerman (16.4 mi). Distances are straight-line from the center of Madera.
Who supplies water in Madera
Under the City’s Stage B rules, even-numbered addresses water Wednesday, Friday and Sunday and odd-numbered addresses Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. No outside water use on Mondays or between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. The City’s rules also say leaks and sprinkler adjustments must be fixed within 5 days of a citation.
See the full Madera watering schedule.
Our work in Madera
Madera shares the Fresno area’s semi-arid San Joaquin Valley climate, with long, hot, dry summers, mild winters and about 11 inches of rain a year, so sprinklers carry most of the watering load.
Madera had 66,224 residents at the 2020 census and sits at about 272 feet above sea level. Incorporated on March 27, 1907.
The 2020 census counted 18,189 housing units in Madera, and about 51.3% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
Madera is the county seat of Madera County, and its name is Spanish for “lumber.”
Written by ACRE Landscape Inc, Fresno & Clovis. Updated October 30, 2026.