Which side of the meter is yours: homeowner line or city line?
Before anyone digs, work out who owns the problem. The City of Goose Creek Water Division reads meters, repairs and maintains water lines, and manages cross-connection control devices. The pipe from the meter to your house is generally the homeowner's, but where responsibility ends can differ by address, so confirm with the Division.
The line between the meter and your house is built to material and depth standards set by the plumbing codes adopted locally and by the water provider. Ask the Goose Creek Water Division whether work near the meter needs their approval, and call 811 before anyone digs.
Where the problem shows and who to call first
| What you see | Likely owner | First call |
|---|---|---|
| Water bubbling in the street or beside the meter on the street side | City side | City of Goose Creek Water Division, Public Works at 843-824-2200 |
| Damaged meter, cracked lid, register will not turn | City side | Water Division |
| Whole street without water | City main | Water Division, then check with neighbors |
| Wet or sunken ground between meter and house | Homeowner line | Us, after closing the house main |
| Meter runs with the house main closed | Homeowner line, usually | Us, and tell the Division what you saw |
| Leak inside the house after the main valve | Homeowner plumbing | Us |
A good habit is to photograph the meter and the wet area, then call both parties if the location is unclear. The Division can confirm the meter reading, and we can find and repair the buried pipe on your side. If the meter itself leaks, only the city should touch it.
Not sure whose pipe it is? Call us, tell us what you see at the meter, and we will help sort the next step.
☎ Call (855) 575-2890Signs your service line is failing
Service line warning signs
- Swampy or sunken groundA wet strip with no rain, often straight from the meter toward the house.
- Water bubbling near the meter boxWater rising around the lid, or a box that fills when nobody uses water.
- Weeds or grass growing faster along the lineEscaping water feeds a green stripe over the pipe path.
- Meter turns with the house main closedThe leak sits between the meter and the house valve.
- Pressure drops at every tapA large leak steals pressure before it reaches the fixtures.
- No water at allA fully failed line, a crushed section or a closed valve at the meter.
- A bill that keeps climbingA slow underground leak can run unnoticed for weeks.
Weak pressure at every tap and no wet spot in the yard
Low pressure does not always mean a leak, and a dry yard does not clear the service line. Start by checking if it is one fixture, hot water only or the whole house. One fixture is often a clogged aerator or a partly closed stop valve, hot only points to the water heater, and the whole house points to the line, the pressure reducing valve or the street.
Attach a pressure gauge to an outdoor hose bibb and read it with everything off. A low number there, with the main valve fully open, suggests a corroded or restricted line, a failing reducer or a supply problem outside your property. Corroded galvanized lines narrow inside over the years, which cuts flow even if nothing leaks.
If the water is off entirely, check the main valve and the meter shutoff, then ask the Water Division whether there is a main break or a shutoff on your account. A paid bill and a dry tap are not unusual after a repair on the street. For hot-only problems, see water heater repair.
Repair or replace the line: spot dig, trenchless or full trench
The right fix depends on what failed and what sits above the pipe. Option one is a spot repair: dig to the leak, cut out the damaged section and join new pipe. It works when the rest of the line is sound.
Option two is full replacement in a trench, which makes sense for corroded, undersized or repeatedly failing pipe. The trench is wider than a spot dig, so lawn and driveway restoration become part of the plan.
Option three is trenchless replacement, where a new pipe is pulled through the old route from small access pits. It leaves lawns and driveways mostly intact, but it is not suitable for every path, and we confirm that before proposing it. If your property runs on a well instead of city water, the line between the well and the house is the same kind of job, and we handle the buried section the same way.
Materials matter. Older lines may be galvanized steel or even lead, which is dull gray, soft and scratches to shiny silver. If you suspect lead, ask the Water Division about its records and replace the pipe rather than patching it. Newer lines are usually copper or polyethylene, both of which handle burial well.
How a service line repair runs
- Locate the route and the leakA pipe locator and listening gear find the line and the point of loss.
- Get utilities markedCall 811 so other buried lines are marked before digging.
- Expose the pipeA small excavation or access pits keep the lawn damage down.
- Repair or replace the sectionNew pipe and fittings are joined and the old section is removed or abandoned.
- Pressure test and flushThe line is tested before the trench is closed.
- Backfill and restoreThe trench is filled in layers, with sod, gravel or concrete restoration discussed up front.
Permit rules vary, so ask the City of Goose Creek building inspection division what applies to a line replacement, and ask the Water Division if work near the meter needs their approval. A line replacement that opens the yard or driveway is the kind of job where a permit and an inspection may come up.
No water and nobody home? Same-day help, nights and weekends
A failed line leaves a house with no water and a risk of flooding in the yard or crawlspace. Dispatch runs through nights and weekends, and same-day appointments are offered when available. After-hours calls follow the same steps as a weekday, starting with a shutoff and a description of what you see.
Before we arrive: no water or water in the yard
- Close the house main valveTurn it clockwise. If the meter is still moving afterward, the leak is in the line outside.
- Photograph the meter and the wet areaInclude the digits and the ground around the box.
- Do not open the meter box or touch the meterThe meter belongs to the City of Goose Creek Water Division. Call Public Works at 843-824-2200 if the box is flooded.
- Keep people and vehicles off soft groundA leak can undermine soil and make it unstable.
- Do not dig yourselfDigging risks a gas, electric or communications line.
- Store water if the outage will run longFill a few containers before the line is fully shut.
We also serve nearby Hanahan. If the leak turns out to be inside the home, our leak detection methods locate it before walls are opened, and a corroded line may lead to a repiping quote for the supply inside the house. A burst section near the house is handled like any other burst pipe repair, with the main closed first.
What drives the cost of service line repair
- Length of the runA short line from a meter near the house costs less to repair than a long run across a yard.
- Depth and what sits on topA line under a lawn is simpler than one under a driveway, a patio or tree roots.
- Pipe material and sizeCopper, polyethylene and PVC each have different material and labor needs.
- Spot dig, trench or trenchlessMethod changes the amount of excavation, restoration and time.
- Restoration afterwardSod, gravel, concrete and landscaping are separate line items.
A water main break in the yard is usually pipe failure from age, so the line itself is often your cost. Water that came into the house or undermined a driveway may be treated differently, and a few insurers sell an exterior line add-on that most homeowners never bought. Ask yours before the trench is dug, and keep the bill history that shows the spike.
Call with what you see at the meter and in the yard, and we will give you a clear price before any digging starts. Call (855) 575-2890.
Questions Goose Creek homeowners ask
Yes. A break in the yard line does not wait for office hours, so calls are taken overnight and on weekends and holidays. Close the house main, check whether the meter still moves and note any soft ground, then call. Same-day visits can be set up when crews are free, and dispatch will ask what you see.
The City of Goose Creek Water Division handles meters and mains. If water is bubbling in the street or at the meter itself, call Public Works at 843-824-2200. A leak between the meter and your house is generally the homeowner's, but confirm where the line of responsibility sits for your address.
Check a hose bibb gauge with everything off. A low reading with the main fully open points to a restricted line, a failing pressure reducer or a supply problem outside the property. We test and tell you which one before suggesting a repair.
Sometimes. Trenchless methods pull a new pipe through the old route from small pits, which spares pavement and landscaping. It does not suit every path or pipe condition, so we confirm the route, the pipe condition and the fittings before recommending it, and you see the plan before any digging begins.
Check the house main and the meter shutoff, then ask the Water Division if there is a main break or an account shutoff. If the street side is fine and the meter turns, the failure is on your side, and we find it.
Lead is dull gray, soft and shiny silver when scratched, and a magnet will not stick. Look at the pipe where it enters the house. If it matches, ask the Water Division about its records and have a licensed plumber replace the pipe.
Have a different question about water service line repair?
☎ Call (855) 575-2890