Water Line Repair in San Diego, CA

Where the City's part ends

The City of San Diego Public Utilities Department supplies the water and owns the system up to the meter. From the meter on, the plumbing belongs to the property owner. If the leak is at the meter itself or out in the street, call the Public Utilities Emergency Hotline at 619-515-3525 before paying for repairs.

Symptoms of a leaking service line

• A soggy strip of lawn or a patch that stays green in the dry summer
• Pressure that drops at every fixture at once
• The meter's leak indicator moving with the house shutoff closed
• Water seeping through a driveway joint or retaining wall

Lead and older pipe

The City has completed its service line inventory, and its water quality report says no lead was identified in the system. That finding covers the City's inventory, not every pipe inside a home. Older private lines, especially galvanized steel in older neighborhoods, can still rust from within and lose flow.

Patch or replace

Call 811 first

SDG&E notes that California law requires contacting DigAlert through 811 before excavation, that the request is free, and that it should go in at least two working days ahead. SDG&E marks only utility-owned lines, so private irrigation, low-voltage lighting or a gas line to a grill or heater will not be marked. Tell the plumber about anything you know is buried, and confirm they will place the 811 request.

What sets the price

Run length and depth, pipe material, what is on top of the line, canyon or hillside access, permit requirements and landscape or concrete restoration. If the old line has leaked in more than one spot, replacing it outright is often better value than repeated patches.

Before you hire

Ask how the leak will be confirmed before anyone digs, which route the new line will take, and whether the quote includes trench backfill, compaction and surface restoration. A Plumbing/Gas Permit from the City's Development Services Department may apply, so ask who pulls it and when the inspection happens.