Your water service line is the buried pipe that carries water from the street main, through the curb stop and meter, into your building. When it breaks, you lose pressure or water entirely, or a wet patch opens in the yard with no obvious source. If water is running loose, close the main valve inside the house and call the 24/7 emergency line at (732) 466-1098. Do not dig near the line yourself.
This page covers repair and replacement of that buried line, plus how New Jersey's lead service line law affects your choices. It does not cover the sewer lateral, which is a separate pipe. For that, see sewer line repair.
Yard flooding or the whole house without water?
Close the main valve inside the house first. If the water keeps flowing into the yard, the loss is on the buried side of that valve, between the meter and the building, or in the utility's section before the meter. Your water bill lists a customer service number for reporting a main or curb-side leak.
Keep people and cars away from soft or sinking ground. If water is reaching a basement near outlets or the panel, stay out of the wet area. Call (732) 466-1098 and we will work out which side of the meter the problem sits on and who needs to be involved.
Who owns which part of the line?
Ownership usually splits at a point near the property line or the curb stop, but the boundary differs by utility and by town. The curb stop is the shutoff valve in a small box near the street. The meter and the main sit on the utility side of the story, while pipe on your property is normally yours to maintain.
Because this varies, ask the utility using the customer service number on your water bill before any digging. Belmar is billed through the borough's Water/Sewer Department, so Belmar residents should start there. Getting the boundary in writing prevents a dispute about who pays.
Signs the service line is failing
A service line gives off clues long before it breaks completely.
Pressure drops at every fixture
If the whole house loses force at once, the problem is ahead of the branch piping, not at one faucet.
Wet or soft patch between the street and house
Green grass in a dry week or a sunken strip can mark the path of a leaking line.
Meter turns with the house off
Water use you cannot explain suggests a loss on the buried section. See the meter test under leak detection.
Dirty or sputtering water
Air and sediment enter a damaged line, and sputtering after a quiet period is a hint.
Mud around the meter or curb box
Damp earth near either point can mean a leaking fitting or valve.
Lead line questions?
Ask us to confirm your service line material when we expose it.
Lead service lines and what New Jersey law requires
P.L.2021, c.183, effective July 22, 2021, requires community water systems to replace all lead service lines within 10 years. The law covers the entire line from the main to the building, whether the section is owned by the property or by the water system. If your line has to be opened for a repair, ask the utility whether it is lead before you spend money on a patch.
New Jersey American Water's 2025 Coastal North monitoring found a lead 90th percentile of 2 ppb against a 15 ppb action level. Of 104 homes sampled, 2 were above the action level. The report notes that corrosion of pipes and fittings can put lead and copper into water. Those results describe the system, not your house, so check your own line material.
How to tell what your line is made of
Look where the line enters the house, usually near the meter or main valve. Then run through these checks.
- Scrape the pipe lightly with a coin. Lead turns shiny silver and is soft enough to dent.
- Hold a magnet to it. Galvanized steel attracts the magnet, while lead and copper do not.
- Copper looks orange-brown and scratches to a bright penny color.
- Gray plastic or blue and black pipe suggests newer material.
- Photograph the pipe, then ask the utility for its service line inventory entry.
- Never cut or sand a suspected lead pipe yourself.
We can confirm the material when we expose the line. Replacement of a lead line should cover the full length that the law targets.
Repair, replace or go trenchless
The choice depends on line age, material, where the damage is and what sits above the pipe.
| Option | Fits when | Disruption | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spot repair | One clean break on sound pipe | Small excavation | Weak neighbors fail next. |
| Open-trench replacement | Old, lead or repeatedly failing line | Digging from curb to house | Yard, driveway or walk restoration. |
| Trenchless replacement | Landscaping or paving worth protecting | Two small access pits | Needs workable soil and path. |
| Tie-in at the curb stop | Utility side already new | Coordination with the utility | Utility schedule applies. |
| Pressure reducing valve fix | High pressure or surges, line intact | Inside the house | Does not fix a leaking pipe. |
A line that has leaked twice, or is made of lead or galvanized steel, is usually replaced as one run rather than patched.
Low pressure is not always the buried line
A clogged aerator, a failed pressure reducing valve or a partly closed main valve can mimic a bad service line. We test pressure at an outdoor hose bib with a gauge before any digging. A stable reading below what the house needs points to the line or the main, while a swing between high and low points to the valve.
Corroded galvanized branches inside the house can also choke flow. In that case the fix is repiping inside the building, not a new service line.
How a service line job runs
Each step is tied to protecting the utility and your property.
Mark-out before digging
Underground utilities must be marked through the state call-before-you-dig system. Marking comes first, every time.
Shut off at the curb stop
If the interior main valve does not hold, the curb stop or the utility stops the flow.
Expose and confirm
We expose the line, confirm the break and read the pipe material.
Replace and connect
New pipe is connected at the curb stop and at the building, with a shutoff and a check on where it passes through the foundation.
Pressure test and inspect
The new line is tested under pressure and inspected before the trench is closed.
Permit and inspection in Neptune
Permit rules vary, so ask the Neptune Township construction office what applies to your job. The township's 2018 fee schedule lists $95 to demolish a sewer or water service and $27 per plumbing fixture or device, and you should confirm current fees with the office.
For one and two family dwellings, rough plumbing inspections include the water service and are done before anything is covered. Request them at least 24 hours ahead. The township says it performs them within three business days of your requested time, so do not backfill the trench until the inspector has seen the pipe.
What drives the price of a water service line job
A short repair and a full replacement are different jobs. These are the factors that move the price.
Homeowner policies often exclude wear, corrosion and root damage on a buried line, though some riders cover service lines. Check your policy before work.
Water Service Line Repair questions in Neptune, NJ
Yes. The 24/7 emergency line at (732) 466-1098 is open around the clock. Tell us if the main valve closes fully and whether water is surfacing in the yard.
While you wait, close the main valve, keep clear of wet electrical areas and note the meter reading. We do not promise an arrival time, but we will tell you what happens next.
You can check where it enters the house. Lead is dull gray, soft and non-magnetic, and it scratches to bright silver. New Jersey law requires community water systems to replace lead service lines within 10 years, so ask the utility about your address too.
It depends on who owns the section and on the utility's program. The law covers the entire line from main to building, whether property-owned or system-owned. Ask the utility using the customer service number on your water bill, and get its answer in writing.
Permit rules vary, so ask the Neptune Township construction office. The township's 2018 fee schedule lists $95 to demolish a water service, and the office can confirm current fees and inspection steps.
Give tenants written notice of the shutoff, the expected duration and a number for questions. Tell us where the main valve is and who can open the building. A property manager can authorize the work, and we send an itemized invoice that states the cause.
It might be. We check the pressure at an outdoor spigot, inspect the pressure reducing valve and confirm the main valve is fully open. If the pressure is low everywhere, the buried line or main is the next suspect.
No. A pressurized service line carries enough force to undermine the trench, and digging near buried utilities needs a mark-out first. Close the main valve and call us.
Related plumbing services
Sources referenced on this page: New Jersey American Water, Coastal North annual water quality report. Neptune Township construction office, 2018 fee schedule (Ordinance 18-25). New Jersey lead service line replacement law, P.L.2021, c.183.