On a well, a leak announces itself differently — there is no water bill to warn you.
Listen to the pump
This is the rural equivalent of a rising bill. If the pump kicks on when nobody is using water, something is leaking somewhere between the well and the last tap. It may be a running toilet, a dripping outside tap, or a broken line out in the ground — but the pump cycling on its own is always worth investigating.
Leaks you cannot see
With long runs across a property, a broken underground line can lose water for weeks without any sign indoors. Look for ground that stays soft, grass that is greener in one patch, or an area that never quite dries out.
It costs you electricity too
Every gallon lost is a gallon your pump had to lift and pressurise. On a well a leak shows up on the power bill rather than the water bill, and it wears the pump out sooner.
Under raised homes
If your home is raised, walk underneath. Damp patches, drips and rust marks on pipe supports are visible without any equipment, and it answers the question a surprising amount of the time.