The water service line is the pipe that runs between the meter at the street and your home. Many homeowners are unaware that they are responsible for any water line repairs or replacement of a leaky or broken water service line. Your water company will take care of leaks in the water main or the line running from the water main to the meter, but everything on your side of the meter is your responsibility.
The water service line is buried underground and is usually very reliable. Sometimes a water line will crack or break if a heavy vehicle is driven over it or if it is not buried deep enough and it freezes. Also, old galvanized water lines and polybutylene water lines will eventually start leaking.
There are several different types of pipe that are commonly used for water lines. Copper, polyethylene (PE), and PVC water lines have proven to be very durable and can usually be repaired when a problem arises. If you have a leaky or broken galvanized steel or polybutylene water line, repairing it is a waste of money because it will soon start leaking somewhere else. The upfront cost is higher, but in the long run, you will be far better off replacing the line with copper, PE, or PVC pipe.
Typically the process of replacing a leaking or broken water line involves digging a trench from the meter to the connection at the house and burying the new water line. To avoid digging up your yard, many plumbers offer trenchless water line replacement. They dig a hole at each end of the existing pipe and use a special machine to drag a new pipe through the old water line, breaking the old up as it goes.
