Water main break at your property right now
A service line leak can show as a geyser, a soft patch of lawn, or a sudden drop in pressure at every tap. If water is gushing near the meter, close the valve on the house side of the meter box if you can reach it. The valve on the street side belongs to the city.
Call Water Distribution at (407) 571-8340 when the leak is at or ahead of the meter, since the city maintains the meter and the pipes that deliver water to your property. For anything between the meter and your home, call us.
Before the crew arrives
Close your shutoff
Turn off the valve at the house, or the one just past the meter if you have it. Check the meter dial to confirm flow has stopped.
Keep clear of the wet ground
Saturated soil can cave in over a trench or a washed-out void. Do not drive or stand over a spot that feels soft.
Do not start digging
Call 811 or visit sunshine811.com first, since other utilities may be nearby and a strike can be dangerous.
Note the symptoms
Write down where pressure dropped, which taps are weak, and where the lawn is wet, so we can narrow the route fast.
Call (407) 964-8940 at any hour. After-hours calls reach us directly, and we offer same-day appointments when available for lines that cannot wait.
Why water pressure drops at every tap
A water service line leak is one of several causes of weak pressure, so it helps to rule others out. If only one fixture is weak, the cause is a clogged aerator, cartridge, or supply stop. If the whole house is weak, the usual suspects are a partly closed main valve, a failing pressure regulator, a corroded galvanized line, or a leak in the service line.
A regulator that is too low or stuck can mimic a break, so we check pressure at an outdoor spigot with a gauge before we dig. A normal reading around 50 to 60 psi points away from the line. If the gauge is fine and old galvanized pipe is the culprit, a repiping job fixes the whole house.
Who owns which part of the line
The City of Altamonte Springs supplies the drinking water from groundwater drawn from the Floridan aquifer, and its Water Distribution Division maintains the pipes, valves, meters, and fire hydrants that deliver water to your property. The city site does not publish where its responsibility ends at each address, so ask Water Distribution before assuming a repair is yours or theirs.
Reclaimed water also moves through the same distribution system, so a lawn line that looks like a drinking water leak may be a reclaimed line. If you are not sure which one you have, tell us before we start digging.
Replacement methods compared
The best method depends on pipe condition, yard layout, and what sits above the line.
A replacement service line follows the plumbing code, the plumbing volume of the Florida Building Code, itself built on the IPC, and Florida's 811 rule requires a call at least two full business days before anyone digs.
| Method | How it works | Fits when |
|---|---|---|
| Spot repair | Dig to the leak, cut out the damaged piece, add a coupling | One failure on an otherwise sound line |
| Open trench replacement | Excavate the full run and lay new pipe in a clean trench | Open lawn and easy access |
| Trenchless pull-through | Dig two small pits and draw a new pipe along the old path | Driveways, patios, trees, and landscaping to protect |
| Reroute | Run a new line along a different path, then retire the old one | Original path is blocked or unreachable |
Finding a buried leak before we dig
A leaking line seldom leaves a clear wet spot in sandy Florida soil because water drains downward. We start with a pressure test from the house side, then listen along the route with acoustic gear. A tracer gas or a pipe locator fills in what the sound misses.
This matters because blind digging costs far more than a good survey. Our leak detection service covers the same tools in more detail, and we use them on every service line job.
Signs your service line is leaking
Watch for these around the yard and inside the house.
- Green or unusually lush grass in a stripe between meter and house.
- A wet or sunken area that stays damp during a dry week.
- Water pressure that drops at every faucet and shower at once.
- A meter that moves with all fixtures and the irrigation timer off.
- Dirty or discolored water after a pressure drop.
- A hissing sound near the meter box or where the line enters the house.
What drives water line repair pricing
Excavation depth, line length, and surface restoration drive nearly every estimate on buried lines.
| Work | Typical ballpark |
|---|---|
| Spot repair on a service line | $500 to $2,000 |
| Trenchless replacement, short run | $2,500 to $6,000 |
| Full replacement, long run or hard surface | Quoted per site, often higher |
- Length of lineA short repair near the house is far less work than replacing a long run from the meter.
- Depth and soilSand is easy to dig but can collapse into the trench, so shoring may be needed.
- Surface above the lineLawn restores simply. Concrete, pavers, and driveways add cutting and replacement.
- Pipe materialPEX, copper, and HDPE have different material costs and joining methods.
- Time of dayNight and weekend dispatches are priced differently from a booked daytime visit.
Those numbers are typical ballparks, and each address is different. You get a clear price before any digging starts.
Planning new construction and added bathrooms
The same crew that repairs a line also handles new service connections for an addition, a guest house, or a remodel. Plan the route with the final grade in mind, since pipe depth and valve boxes are hard to move later. Larger jobs may need a permit, so ask the City Building and Fire Safety Department at (407) 571-8446.
Our plumbing installation page covers fixtures and new lines inside the structure. Corroded galvanized lines inside the home can still limit pressure after the service line is fixed.
Jobs for the city and jobs for us
We do not work on the city's mains, meters, or fire hydrants, and we do not dig without a locate ticket. A gas smell or a line strike is a 911 call first and then your gas utility's emergency number from your bill.
We also help families in Longwood with the same type of line work.
Water service line questions
Yes. The number (407) 964-8940 is answered all hours, including nights and weekends. If the water is gushing, close your shutoff and call, and we dispatch the earliest available crew.
Look in the meter box near the street for a valve on the house side of the meter, and inside the house near where the line enters. If your box has only the city valve, do not turn it, and call Water Distribution at (407) 571-8340.
The city says its Water Distribution Division maintains the pipes and meters that deliver water to your property, but does not publish the exact boundary. Ask the division about your address, then call us for anything on the home side.
Yes. Florida law calls for a locate request at least two full business days before digging, and we confirm locates before planned digs. During an active leak, we shut water off first to limit damage while locates are done.
Often. Trenchless methods use two small pits and draw new pipe along the old path, which leaves landscaping and driveways in place.
Causes include a failing regulator, a partly closed valve, corrosion in older galvanized lines, or a buried leak. A pressure gauge on an outdoor spigot tells us which one to chase.