House Advice: Water Main Break
 

OK...Gonna try and use my Pixie network for some non-sex advice here.... :D

Anyone ever had a water main break on their service line? I am being told that I will need to let them do the following:

• Dig up 40 feet of yard about 4 ft under to get to the line
• Replace 40 feet of copper tubing for the water line
• Get a new water meter
• Take out ALL my landscaping to let them get in with backhoes, etc to do the work

I have called for 3 more estimates, and people should be arriving today. First estimate was $1500 ~ which will NOT include replacing my front sidewalk and re-doing ALL of my landscaping.

Anyone else ever had this problem? If yes, any shortcuts you know of?

Either way ~ I'd appreciate some advice on things you wish you'd known or done differently....


Damn, what a shitty way to start the day! :(

Wow, that is a shitty wat to start...only a little exp. in this myself, here the water meters are in the middle of the front yard, & anything that breaks on my side of the meter is my responsibility & anything on the street side is the water co.'s baby, so to speak...that's what happened in my last house, the libe crack on the st. side, my first hint was the sound of water running somewhere in the house, but nothing was on...a check out my front door revealed a small river running down the hill onto the street. As I say, not my financial responsibility, & the small amount of grass torn up soon grew back...my neighbor, OTOH, just had his entire line replaced a few months back, & did involve tearing the shit out of his front yard...sorry I didn't ask him what the cost to him would be, & he doesn't do a lot of landscaping (with 2 small boys, that would be futile) so there was a lot of straw & seed thrown down after (most of which washed away in the next big rain)...one hope you might have, I think they have ways to dig under sidewalks & other pavements, so you might look for someone who work with you on that...but I know, when the water main breaks, your 1st concern is to get it fixed so you can use your own bathroom again...
PS - just got notice from water co. that they're gonna go thru the neighborhood replacing old meters with new ones with radio transmitters to nake it easiere & safer for the readers...I have little doubts that when they do, they will somehow manage the fuck up the old lines somewhere down the road...

Thanks, Scotz....LMAO. Every person I have talked to at the Water Dept is either lazy or a Nazi. And low intelligence seems to abound. They went to shut off my water and accidentally shut off my gas line. :rolleyes:

:yikes: gad, I hope they know the fuckin' difference when they go to hook up the new lines...don't light a cig when ya use the toilet the first time, might literally blow yer ass off...

LMAO. Scotz, you gave me my first laugh of the day. :D Thank you.

Update: Second quote was $2350 plus sidewalk repair (@$550)

I'm with scotzoidman on this one Osuche. Everything from the water company up to and including the meter is the water company's obligation to maintain/replace. And there are ways to run pipe with a lower degree of damage to landscaping and sidewalks. However, if your meter is right next to a sidewalk...well, odds are they'll have to tear up a section of it to replace the pipe. Either that or they can make a joint before and after the sidewalk and pray the pipe they leave underneath is ok. Has your water bill been unusually high lately? If so, that means the water is running through the meter so either the meter is bad or you have a leak somewhere in the house which I assume you would've discovered on your own.

What's the water company saying?

We did this last year, and my house is on a hill. Mr Lil did it all his self so a handy man is most likely capable, cause Goddess love him, Mr Lil is not terribly handy. Anyhow he did have a plumber come connect the new pipes but he laid them all his self and basically it was 1 hr of plumbing service so like $70 bucks. Why are you responsible for meter and sidewalk?

Well....It appears that in COlumbus the City is responsible only for the street connection into the city water line. I am responsible from the connection for anything from the street to my house. And the leak appears to be just outside where the line comes into the house....whihc includes about 40 ft of piping, up a hill, and into the house. <sigh> And moving/replacing the water meter inside the house since it is so old (1950's).

The joys of having a home built in 1902.... And since my lawn is so small, I will likely tear up the neighbor's yard too....

Lilith, thanks for the idea of having a "handyman" do the backhoe work and then having the plumber only connect. I will price this option out tomorrow. :D Of course, no options to have Mr. Osuche do the work.....He has this knack for screwing hosehold jobs up. I think it's strategic incompetence ;)

I used to work for a company that did alot of the work you need done and around here the city is only responsable for the water main,and the meter only, the service tap and the service line all the way to the water meter and past is your responsability. I used to be the one who ran the backhoe and I hated it but had to tear up peoples landscaping, it was either that or go without water. We did not replace the landscaping or sidewalks either. although if I could I would dig under sidewalks to try to save them. Sorry for the bad news but I think you are stuck for the exspense.

Ya know...I'm pretty handy with a shovel, and I know a little about plumbing....maybe we can work out a deal? :lust: :hot: When they ran the water out here in BFE at my house, we were responsible for running the lines, but the water company hooked them up...same with the gas company. It will most likely be cheaper to have one person or outfit do the whole job instead of separate people. Keep checkin babe, good luck!

I’ll share the little I know. In Ohio, each county develops the point of responsibility, and it is, for the most part the same as Cobalt states for Cuyahoga and most others, but they WILL tell you.

First~
As for water service right now, you can do something that will NOT stampede you into making a costly fast choice. Unless you have a neighbor like Steph, you can usually ask them to allow you to hook a hose from closest sillcocks of the of both houses. This can be connected by replacing the male end with a standard female hose fitting. We are still in the warm season, so no overnight freezing problems. You may want to offer paying some of their water bill the next quarter and adjusting your washing and shower times so not to cause inconvenient low pressure issues. This will give you time to look at options and do some shopping.

Next~
After the time pressure is off, check around for plumbers that can “jack pipe”.
Your meter location will determine some of the options you have. If they use curb meters, it will be in a pit near the street. Being a 1950’s vintage home, your meter could well be in the basement and most departments have added remote readers now, so they do not have to come inside to read it. Water meters will NOT be above ground in Ohio. One common method of replacing water line for over 40 years has been to push steel rods horizontally through the ground, from one location, below the frost line (36” in Cuyahoga county), to another. The maximum practical jacking distance through clay soil was about 50 ft. They may need to punch a new hole through the basement wall and into the floor to anchor the jack. The rods are pushed through in 10 ft. lengths and another coupled on. After it reaches the hole or pit on the other end, it is jacked back pulling M (soft) copper coil with it.

Your local geology will determine how practical jacking may be. Another option is to have a plastic liner pushed through the old pipe (If it was ¾” iron pipe. Early 50’s was copper water lines began replacing ferries.) This is commonly done with natural gas lines too. It only requires a hole being dug at each end and save a fortune in trenching. I had 157 ft., from the curb to the house done about 10 years ago.

I hope something here can be of help to you. The big thing is to do some homework.

Good luck babe. ;)

Great advice PF

However I am a bit mystified by this

(If it was ¾” iron pipe. Early 50’s was copper water lines began replacing ferries.)

I am wondering how copper water lines replace ferries. Can't see people crossing Sydney harbour on a copper pipe ferry. Dunno if they would float that well and I reckon thay would not be near as fast as the hydrofoils or catamarans. Might outpace some of the old monohulls though LOL.

Perhaps a new sort of 'Cuyahoga Moon" LOL

I can laugh with empathy Oushe !!! I just had 2 holes busted in my foundation Saturday for water leak in the foundation .... What a Fning nightmare. I was just able to lay the carpet down last night.. Now does that ever screw up the house...Stuff moved everywhere.... But its fixed now !!!!so good luck kiddo !!!!

LMAO- :D Now how could I ever relate the story of the Moon to our fellow Pixies? rofl just thinking about it. :D


Grumble is right. :) Or maybe you can just get the pipe fairies to fix it. :)

...^(If it was ¾” iron pipe. Early 50’s was when copper water lines began replacing ferrous.)^...

after having that little shot at PF's typo, I am really thinking that his idea of punching a new line in with the steel rods is a beauty, would be easier, less obtrusive and easier on the wallet. Geez PF anyone would think you were an engineer!!!! :D

All depends on the type of sub soil as any rocks or something like that would cause problems. Also would be a good idea to "dial before you dig" to find out where services like telephone, power, sewage, storm water or gas is situated.

Hope that PF's idea is of use to you Osuche