The water service line is the buried pipe that carries water from the meter to your house. Leaks or breaks show up as wet spots in the yard, low pressure or a meter that won't stop moving. A plumber can repair the damaged section or replace the line, often with trenchless methods that avoid digging a long trench.
Call for Same Day Service (833) 763-0420The homeowner is usually responsible for the line from the meter to the house, while the utility owns the meter and the line to the street. Older service lines may be galvanized steel or even lead, which many utilities are now working to replace.
Replacing the line by trenchless boring or pipe bursting lets the plumber pull a new line underground between 2 small pits, sparing lawns and driveways.
Signs Your Water Service Line Is Leaking
The water service line runs underground from the meter to the house, so a leak there usually shows up in the yard before it shows up indoors: a soggy patch, unusually green grass, or water near the street.
- Soggy or unusually green patches in the yard
- Low water pressure throughout the house
- A water meter that moves when all water is off
- Water bubbling up near the street or the foundation
Your Line or the Utility's?
The water meter usually marks the boundary. In most areas the utility owns the meter and the pipe from the street main to the meter, and the homeowner owns the service line from the meter to the house. If water is bubbling up between the street and the meter, call the utility first. If the leak is between the meter and the house, a meter test with the house's main shutoff closed will confirm it, and that repair is yours.
How a Water Service Line Is Repaired or Replaced
After confirming the leak is on the service line with a meter test, the plumber locates it and either repairs that section or replaces the line, often by boring a new line underground between 2 small pits.
- Do a meter test to confirm the leak is on the service line.
- Locate the leak with acoustic equipment.
- Repair the section, or replace the line by trenching or trenchless methods.
- Pressure test, restore service and backfill.
What Affects the Cost of Water Line Repair
The length of the line, how deep it is and what's on top of it are the biggest factors in what a service line repair costs.
- Length and depth of the line from the meter to the house.
- Spot repair versus full replacement.
- Trenching versus trenchless boring.
- What's above the line: lawn, driveway or landscaping.
- Permits and coordination with the water utility.
When a Water Line Break Is an Emergency
- Water is bubbling up in the yard or near the street.
- You've lost water pressure throughout the house.
Lead Service Lines in Older Cities
Several cities have active programs to replace lead service lines. Chicago has more lead service lines than any other U.S. city, and Denver Water runs a Lead Reduction Program. If your home in an older neighborhood needs a service line repair, ask the plumber and your utility whether the line is lead; replacing it may be coordinated with a utility program.
Lead Service Lines by City
What our city pages say about lead service lines:
- Bayonne, NJ: Older buildings still have lead or lead-lined lines from the main, which the city is replacing.
- Chicago, IL: Older homes may still have galvanized supply piping or a lead service line, which can reduce pressure and should be evaluated for replacement.
- Saginaw, MI: The city has verified thousands of lead services and is replacing them.
- Hammond, IN: About 9 in 10 service lines here are lead or galvanized.
- New Britain, CT: The city says older homes may still have them between the main and the meter.
- Appleton, WI: Older homes may get a city notice to replace the private side.
- New Bedford, MA: Houses from before 1940 can have lead service lines, galvanized pipe and cast iron stacks.
- West Chester, PA: Older homes may still have lead lines from the street.
Before the Plumber Arrives
- Find the water meter and the shutoff where the line enters the house.
- Check whether the utility has records of a lead service line at your address.
Water Service Line Repair is one part of leak detection & repair.
Other Leak Detection & Repair Services
Water Service Line Questions
Who owns the water line?
In most areas the homeowner owns the line from the meter to the house. Check with your water utility for the rules where you live.
My service line might be lead. What should I do?
Contact your water utility. Many have lead service line inventories and replacement programs. A plumber can also check where the line enters your home.