Is it ok to leave a leak from underground adjacent to house?

[uclalumni00]

Hi,

The sprinkler valves coming out of the ground sit adjacent to a concrete portion of the wall at the base of our home, in our backyard.
I noticed water pooling in that hole where the valves sit. There's a leaking pipe under there.
I scooped out all the water, and the water pooled back in 20 minutes (without turning the valves on or anything), but the water level doesn't ever rise above ground.
I was quoted $400 to fix the situation. Money is tight.
The water never rises out of the hole, so can I just leave it this way? Any downfalls besides mosquitos, bugs, and slimy mud?
The water sits right up against some concrete, which is at the base of the house. Which seems slightly concerning but ok at the same time, as it seems that the builders have designed the valves to reside there, even though it's obvious that water and leaks are common wherever you stick the valves.
Additionally, it has already been this way for months and seems fine.
We'd like to maybe delay fixing for 1-2 years if possible. The water bill doesn't seem that affected.

One thing I don't get: why does the water fill back up right away, but yet the water doesn't ever rise above and out of the hole onto ground level?
Thanks!

 

[Smooky]

You might want to dig down and see if you can figure out where the water is coming from. It is up to you whether you fix it or not. Sometimes a small leak can get to be a big leak where you are forced to repair it in an emergency situation. The price could end up being more than $400 if that happens.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[uclalumni00]

Thanks Smooky for that great & true tip and piece of advice! I should probably take care of it then...

Can anyone else be detective and figure out why in the world the water would fill back up right away, yet stop at a certain point? That part really baffles me.
If it were backflow from the sprinklers, the sprinklers would have to turn on first, which in my test I didn't do.
If it were the main line, the water should keep leaking and eventually flooding, no? so strange..

 

[Reach4]

Can anyone else be detective and figure out why in the world the water would fill back up right away, yet stop at a certain point? That part really baffles me.

That would seem to imply that a bigger space is accepting and returning water. One possibility is that the area is sandy, so the water is able to move freely through the ground, but conditions elsewhere keep the water contained somewhat.