Water Line and Underground Pipe Repair in Long Beach

Water Line and Underground Pipe Repair in Long Beach and Los Alamitos

The main water line runs from the meter at the street to your home. It’s buried, so you rarely think about it until something goes wrong. When it fails, the signs are usually a wet patch in the lawn that never dries, a sudden drop in water pressure, a high water bill or water bubbling up near the sidewalk.

Worthey Plumbing repairs and replaces main water lines and other underground pipes for homes and businesses across Rossmoor, Los Alamitos, Seal Beach, Long Beach and Huntington Beach, along with Cypress, Westminster, Garden Grove, Fountain Valley, Lakewood and Cerritos.

What Causes Underground Pipe Failures

Older homes in our area often have galvanized steel or early copper service lines. Galvanized pipe rusts from the inside, which narrows the pipe, lowers pressure and eventually causes leaks. Copper can be worn through by corrosive soil or high water velocity. Tree roots can wrap around and crush buried lines, and ground movement can break fittings. Irrigation lines, pool lines and lines to detached garages or ADUs face the same problems.

Finding the Leak

Before we dig, we confirm the leak and pinpoint it. We check the water meter for movement with all fixtures off, then use acoustic leak detection to listen for the leak along the path of the line. That way, when we do excavate, we open a small section in the right spot instead of trenching the whole yard. Our leak detection service is the same process we use for leaks inside the home.

Repair or Replace the Line

A single leak on a line that’s otherwise in good shape can be fixed with a spot repair. We expose the damaged section, replace it and backfill. If the line is old galvanized pipe, has leaked more than once or is causing low pressure throughout the house, replacing the entire main line is the better investment. New lines are typically run in copper or PEX, sized correctly for your home’s demand.

In many cases we can replace a main water line with minimal digging by pulling the new line through the path of the old one or boring under walkways and driveways. That saves concrete and landscaping.

Main Shutoff and Pressure Regulator

When we replace a main line, we also check the main shutoff valve and the pressure regulator. A shutoff valve that won’t close all the way is a problem in an emergency, and a failed regulator can let street pressure damage fixtures, toilets and water heaters. Replacing them during the same visit saves you a separate call later.

Water Line FAQs

Who is responsible for the water line, me or the city?

In most cases the homeowner owns the line from the meter to the house. The utility owns the line from the main to the meter. We can help you figure out where the leak is before you make any calls.

How long does main water line replacement take?

Most residential main line replacements are completed in one day. Longer runs or lines under concrete may take a bit more time.

Why is my water pressure suddenly low?

A leak in the main line, a failing pressure regulator or corroded galvanized pipe are the most common reasons. We can test and tell you which it is.

Related services from Worthey Plumbing include Leak Detection, Slab Leak Detection and Repair, Re-Piping Services, Backflow Testing and Trenchless Sewer Repair.

Water Line and Underground Pipe Repair