Repiping in Bonita, CA

Is a 1970s Bonita house likely to need new pipe?

Often, but not always. With a median build year around 1975, many homes along Bonita Road, San Miguel Road and in Bonita Highlands were plumbed with copper, and some older ones with galvanized steel. Galvanized corrodes inward and restricts flow; copper that has been in service for decades can develop pinholes at bends and fittings. One old leak on otherwise clean pipe is a repair. Leaks in several rooms, rusty water or a general drop in pressure suggest a repipe. A plumber can read a lot from the pipe visible at the water heater and under sinks.

Sweetwater found no lead or galvanized service lines needing replacement. Does that cover my house?

Not the inside. Sweetwater Authority, which supplies Bonita, published a lead service line inventory built from records, field checks and a state-approved statistical method, and concluded it has no lead or galvanized service lines requiring replacement, including customer-owned lines. That covers the service line to the house. The supply pipe inside the walls is not part of that inventory. Sweetwater reports total hardness from 94 to 300 ppm, averaging 196 ppm, and uses chloramine as a disinfectant. Hard water leaves scale in valves and fixtures, so new shutoffs are a sensible part of a repipe.

Who issues the permit for a Bonita repipe?

Which building department handles a Bonita address isn't something to guess at, so confirm with the building department that covers your address before work begins. Bonita's ZIP and mailing name don't by themselves tell you which office has jurisdiction. A plumber who works in the South Bay can usually tell you which office applies and handle the application. Expect an inspection with the new pipe under test pressure before walls are closed.

A Bonita note

Bonita sits inland from the bay, near Sweetwater Reservoir and the Bonita Golf Course, with mild weather most of the year and cooler nights than the beach. Attic runs should be supported and insulated, and exposed lines at hose bibs protected. If the home has a softener or filter, have it repiped into the new system at the same time so the bypass and connections match. Ask, too, whether the plumber will replace the main shutoff, since an old gate valve that won't close fully makes every future repair harder.