While most water main replacements are the result of a burst service water pipe under conditions where the damaged pipe isn’t worth repairing, many property owners may also need to replace or relocate their existing line to support increasing water flow as part of improvements to the property or to support an irrigation or sprinkler system.

Depending on the circumstances of your service water line replacement needs, we have an array of water service line relocation, line enhancement and replacement options, including temporary workarounds, which we can propose based on your needs and conditions to achieve the optimal and most cost effective strategy to get the job done with minimal disruption to your property.

A reliable way to evaluate if you have a water line leak is to turn off all water fixtures in your property and then observe if there is any activity on your water meter.  If your water meter continues to register water flow, even with all fixtures turned off, it’s a telltale sign of a water line leak.  For more complex situations, we advise running a leak detection test, which requires specialized know how and equipment. Our team of water main specialists at Water Main Utah can conduct a leak detection test for you to confirm and identify any leaks you may have.

If you’re experiencing one or more of these signs of a failed water service line, it’s critical to act quickly.  An unaddressed water main burst or leak poses serious risks to your health and property and can compromise the structural integrity of the property.  The cost to repair damage caused by a failed main water line invariably goes up the longer the problem is not addressed.

Traditional Excavation vs Trenchless Water Line Replacement

Trenchless Water Line Replacement Options

The key variables in determining actual cost include existing pipe depth, the length of the water line, the accessibility of the necessary access points, the old pipe material (galvanized pipes can be difficult to work with) and the new pipe material used (copper pipes are particularly high cost compared to plastic pipe alternatives like PEX or PVC), whether the new line needs to be run into the house, and the complexity of your water service lines, such as whether your system has branch connections or offset joints, or slope of the existing pipe and whether it needs to be altered. Added complexity can significantly increase labor costs, which is the primary drive of project cost.

When looking into the costs range, it’s important to take into account that these ranges only account for the direct cost of a main water line replacement: there are additional costs you will invariably incur before the job is done.  Surface replacement costs, such as landscaping, hardscaping, driveways and sidewalks damaged or removed as part of the replacement process should be factored in, though are not usually part of the direct costs.  Minimizing surface replacement costs is a major benefit of trenchless methods of water line replacement.

Frequently many of the existing valves connected to your main water line also need to be replaced in conjunction with a water main replacement: your main shut-off valve, pressure release valve, and stop and waste valve may need to be replaced.