I really haven't heard to much about water line failing that the whole line needs to be dug up and replaced. Usually it is a spot repair. In our area the water meter is usually in the house, so if there is a leak on the line from the main to your house you will not be paying for the water anyway because the leak is before the meter. To me it sounds like a waste of money.

I've owned houses for over 40 years and never had the water line to the house fail. I did have an old galvanized one that was getting pretty clogged up and affecting water pressure, so I hired a high school kid to dig it up and I replaced it with copper; it didn't cost me thousands to do it. The only failure I'm aware of is a neighbor who was securing landscape timbers in his front yard with lengths of rebar and managed to drive a piece of it through his line. Other than accidental damage like that, I think it's not a big concern.

I agree that this is something that mainly contributes to the utility's bottom line.

Thank You Everyone.

After checking around, I believe that you are right that it's not worth it and is only a revenue generator.

Thanks Again

(No further responses are needed)

This letter is a revenue generator. It is terrorizing my 87 year old Mom. I wish I could figure out how to stop them from arriving in the US mail. This letter has made my life miserable for 3 years. I would live to punch the CEO in the damn nose.

I know this is an old thread and I'm bucking the trend here, but I live in a townhouse and have three neighbors uphill from me. All have had their water lines leak in the past three years. I know of one other leak further down the hill from me as well in the past few years. One neighbor's basement flooded due to a leak, and my basement has nearly flooded, saved only by my sump pump. I'm on my third sump pump in three years now. Our neighborhood was built in the mid-70s, so the pipes are approaching 50 years old, which might explain why the leaks are happening in a cluster. Neighbors have received quotes anywhere from $4k - $10k for repairs w/o insurance. So, I'd suggest buying the insurance if your pipes are old and/or you've heard of any neighbors needing their pipes replaced recently.

I'll also buck the trend. I own a number of rentals in an area that was built up in the early 1900s. The water lines to the house are galvanized and over a hundred years old. They're also 7' underground. We had a scare recently where we thought the line had failed, and the quotes for a 33' run to the street were in the neighborhood of $8-10K. Problem solved, but for $5/month it seems well worth the cost of insurance!

The water meters are about 2 feet from the curbs here. if the prior owners or current owners that had the water and sewer lines installed had good water line and sewer piping installed it should last for many years. I cant say the same for the street piping. The company used the cheap stuff and these pipes are not ours to fix, thats the cities.