Fixing water main leak

[Mike Lamb]

This main is leaking on the street side of the valve. I think the supply is lead. How difficult/expensive

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of a fix is this? This is Chgo. and there's about 50' to the street if that matters.

[kurt]

If it's leaking @ the swaged joint (yes, it's lead pipe), you might get out for $800-1200. They have to shut off the water @ the street; big problem right now because there's 2 feet of snow on everything and the ground is frozen. Lottsa variables that can take the number up a lot.

$10K - 12K for a new main. Cost of repair is about $3k -5K if they have to excavate, IF they can find the leak.

Of course, I know of a couple repairs that came in around $1200-2000, but those are anomalies. First, you have to find a plumber from Local 130 that isn't going to stick a blowtorch up the customers behind.

They'll be excavating most of the yard to find the leak if it's "normal".

Also, the City will want to stick a meter on it nowadays; that guy is from the old days when water was on the tax bill.

[Mike Lamb]

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Thanks. This is leaking right below the lead lump and maybe elsewhere.

[plummen]

depending on the citys rules on repairs you could also cut the line just before the leak and install a lead/copper repair coupling and run a short piece of K copper to a new ball valve.

not sure about your area but around omaha utilitie equipment is best place to find parts for lead water service repairs

[kurt]

Yep, the lump is the swaged joint. You might be able to repair it with a coper coupler like plummen said, but if it's leaking elsewhere.....