Ground excavated to expose Water Service Leak Repair. PEX water line repaired just outside of the meter box. Hand tools and plastic drop cloth on lawn.
Leak Repair

Water Service Leak Repair

Labrador with hard hat and pipe wrench in mouth
NC Master Plumber, LLC

Follow along with Plumber John in “Water Service Leak Repair”.  This episode of “Tales From The Jobsite Plumbing Blog”

NC Master Plumber, LLC » “Tales From The Jobsite” Plumbing Blog » Leak Repair » Water Service Leak Repair

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Water Service Leak Repair

If you have a leak in the water line in your yard you need a water service leak repair. Your water service is the piping that runs from your water meter box to your home. It supplies your home with it’s domestic cold water supply. When a water service leaks you may see a wet area in your yard.

A Water Service Leak. Wet spot in lawn. Shovel for hand excavation. Bucket to bail water out of the hole that is dug to find the leaking water piping.
A Water Service Leak often makes a wet spot in the lawn.

If you have an active leak the leak detector in your meter will be spinning. It is very common for the local municipality water utility department to contact their customers to notify them of high water usage.

Hole in the lawn exposing PEX Water Service Line that was damaged by fencing contractor while drilling fence post holes.
Before
Hole in the lawn exposing PEX water service line repaired after a fencing contractor damaged the piping while drilling fence post holes. Drop cloth, additional PEX piping, tray with PEX crimp tools crimp rings and a pair of work gloves.
After – PEX Water Service Piping Leak repaired

Best Practice for Water Service

It is best to use one long piece of piping without any joints. I choose PEX instead of Black Poly. I believe PEX is a better quality option. Both come in long rolls of different length. Schedule 40 PVC is an excellent water piping but it comes in 20′ lengths so you will have a joint every 20′. I run water service piping below 12″ deep in the Willow Spring, NC area so it is below the frostline.

Water Service Requirements

As a licensed master plumber, code requires me to install a sleeve when penetrating a foundation. If the footing is shallower than the frostline, then the water service line needs to go under the footing to enter the crawlspace to maintain frost protection. The code also requires that I install a pressure reducing valve (PRV) when the supply pressure is greater than 80 psi. Most municipalities furnish around 100 psi, so a PRV is typically installed on a home with a water service that is supplied by a municipality.

Hole dug in lawn to expose black poly piping water service repaired with a section of PVC piping and PVC poly barb adapters
Black poly water service piping repaired with a section of PVC piping.

Johnston County Water Service Requirements

Johnston County requires a secondary meter/valve box inline just after the meter box. This box is for a main shut off valve and a double check valve.

Meter Box and secondary valve box for main valve and double check valve with box covers and meter key.
Meter Box and Secondary Valve Box for Main Valve and Double Check Valve
Ground excavated next to the meter box to expose new replacement main valve and double check valve that were installed in a water service line. Work gloves, PVC primer, PVC glue with old parts displayed.
Failed Main Valve and Double Check Valve Replaced
Labrador with hard hat and pipe wrench in mouth
NC Master Plumber, LLC
Book A Service Call

NC Master Plumber, LLC has proudly served Angier, Apex, Benson, Clayton, Four Oaks, Fuquay-Varina, Garner, Holly Springs, Raleigh, Willow Spring, Wake, Johnston, & Harnett since 1997.

NC Master Plumber, LLC

520 Carolina Avenue
Willow Spring, NC 27592
Phone: 9197958727
Email: ncmasterplumber@gmail.com
Monday9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
SaturdayClosed
SundayClosed

The Information in this blog post is in no way an instruction manual. Many of the procedures described require a licensed plumber to perform.

Related Leak Repair Posts:

Repair PEX Water Leak

Kitchen Faucet Leak Repair

Other Valve Posts you may enjoy:

Replace an Angle Stop Valve

Install Moen Posi-Temp Shower Valve

Learn More About NC Master Plumber, LLC