In house experiments, an outdoor test site, real tests and theoretical modeling have been used to investigate the potential of using ground penetrating radar (GPR) to detect water leaks. Leaks not only waste precious natural resources, but they also create substantial damage to infrastructure. Surface geophysical methods are non-invasive trenchless tools used to characterize the physical properties of the subsurface material. This characterization is then used to interpret the geologic and hydrogeologic conditions of the subsurface. Many geophysical techniques have been suggested as candidates for detecting leakage in water lines. including GPR, acoustic devices, gas sampling devices and pressure wave detectors. GPR is a reflection technique, which uses high frequency electromagnetic waves to acquire subsurface information. GPR responds to changes in electrical properties, which are a function of soil, rock material and moisture content. A series of tests were conducted to validate the effectiveness of GPR technology in detecting water leakage. The results obtained indicate that GPR is effective in detecting water leaks and contaminant plumes.