Your water service line is the buried pipe that carries water from the meter to the main shutoff inside your home. When it breaks in Wheat Ridge, you can call the 24/7 emergency line at any hour, and a licensed plumber is dispatched.
While you wait, close the main valve inside the house. If water keeps surfacing in the yard, the break is upstream of that valve. Then look for a shutoff at the meter, which usually needs a special key, and leave that to us or your water provider.
When a water line break is an emergency
Water pooling in a yard, rising through a driveway crack or running toward your foundation needs immediate attention. A pressurized line can undermine soil and wash out the ground under concrete.
- Shut the main valve inside your home.
- Keep children and pets away from soft, saturated ground.
- Do not dig until the utilities are marked.
- Take photos of the wet area and note when it started.
- Call the 24/7 line and give your address.
Signs the line to your house is leaking
A soggy patch that never dries
A permanently wet lawn strip between meter and house often sits above the break.
A meter that moves with the house off
If the dial turns after the main is closed, the leak is in the buried line.
Sudden bill increase
The usage line jumps without any change in how many people live in the home.
Dirty or cloudy water
A break can pull soil or air into the line, which shows up at the tap.
Noise in the yard
A faint hiss near the meter or along the run is a leak, not a plumbing fixture.
Water surfacing in your yard?
Close the inside main and call the 24/7 line.
Low water pressure from the line
Weak pressure at every tap, rather than one faucet, points to something upstream. A leaking service line loses pressure before the water reaches your house. Corroded pipe, a partly closed valve or a failing pressure regulator can cause the same effect.
We check the pressure at an outdoor spigot with a gauge, then compare it to what the line should deliver. Normal household pressure is typically in the range of 40 to 80 psi. A low reading with a running meter points to a leak, while low pressure with a still meter suggests a restriction or a valve problem.
Repairing or replacing a service line
Repair
- Fits a single break in otherwise sound pipe.
- Needs a small excavation at the leak.
- Usually quicker and less disruptive to the yard.
Replace
- Fits old, corroded or repeatedly leaking pipe.
- Can be done by trench or by pulling new pipe through the old path.
- Resets the line with new material from meter to house.
We tell you which one makes sense once the line is exposed. If a long stretch is corroded, a repair buys little time, and replacement is usually the better value.
How we repair a buried line
Confirm
We test the meter and the main to prove the leak is underground.
Locate
We use listening gear and, when needed, leak detection methods to mark the break.
Dig safely
We call Colorado 811 and wait for utility marks before any digging.
Restore
We replace the damaged pipe, test the pressure and backfill.
Colorado 811 and Wheat Ridge water providers
Colorado law requires a call to Colorado 811 at least three business days before you dig, at colorado811.org or by dialing 811. Utilities are marked with paint or flags, and you hand dig within 18 inches of any mark. The service marks public lines only, so private lines still need locating by us.
Wheat Ridge is served by four providers: Denver Water, Consolidated Mutual, Valley Water and the Wheat Ridge Water District. The Wheat Ridge Water District has served since 1939 and covers most of the city east of Independence Court, plus Mountain View and Lakeside. Check your bill to see who owns the meter, since the meter and the street side of the line are the provider's to repair.
Work on supply and drain lines follows a model code such as the UPC or IPC as adopted locally, and the Wheat Ridge Building Division is the source for the edition and any amendments.
What affects the price of water line repair
Cost follows the length of the line, the depth and what sits on top of it, whether lawn, concrete or landscaping. A short repair in a planting bed differs a lot from a long run under a driveway.
Insurance rarely covers the cost of a line that wore out slowly, though some policies add service line coverage. Call (303) 552-3896 and the price is explained before any work starts.
Common questions
Do you handle water line repair emergencies at night or on weekends in Wheat Ridge?
Yes. The emergency line operates 24/7. If water is surfacing in your yard at night, close the inside main and call, and a licensed plumber is dispatched.
Who is responsible for the line, me or the water district?
Typically you own the pipe from the meter to your house, while the provider owns the meter and the street side. Ask your provider where its responsibility ends.
How long does a service line repair take?
A single spot repair is often finished in a day, while replacing a long run can take longer. We explain the schedule once we see the line.
Will you dig up my whole yard?
No. We locate the break first, then open only the area needed. A longer replacement may use a trenchless method when the route allows.
Why is my water pressure suddenly low?
A broken line, a failing regulator or a closed valve can all do it. A gauge test tells us which.
I manage several rental homes. Can you check each line?
Yes. We can inspect each property and give a written summary of the findings.
Where this fits with other work
A leak that is inside the house rather than in the ground is traced under leak detection, and failing pipe throughout the house is covered under repiping.
Our dispatch also reaches north into Arvada for the same buried line work.