When a water line failure is an emergency
A service line breaks without a sound. You may notice a wet patch in the yard, a muddy driveway, a drop in pressure or a house with no water at all. A line that has let go can wash out soil around it and flood a basement wall.
Close the main valve inside the house. If water keeps surfacing outside, the leak is likely before that valve, on the utility side, and Missouri American Water at 866-430-0820 should hear about it too. Then call us, any hour. We offer same-day appointments when available.
- A wet, soft or sunken spot in the yard with no rain or sprinkler.
- Pressure that dropped at every fixture in the house.
- Water coming up at the curb or around the meter box.
- A bill or meter reading that spiked with no change in use.
What the service line is and who owns what
The water service line runs underground from the main under the street, through the meter, to the shutoff valve inside your house. It is a single pipe, but responsibility is split along it.
Where the utility's part ends and yours begins depends on the utility and sometimes the property, and we do not decide it. Confirm with Missouri American Water at 866-430-0820 before you pay for a repair, so you know which section is yours.
| Part | Where it is | Who to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Water main | Under the street | Missouri American Water |
| Meter and meter box | Near the curb or inside the house | Missouri American Water |
| Service line on the property | Between the meter and the house | Confirm with Missouri American Water |
| Main shutoff and house piping | Inside the house | Property owner, with a licensed plumber |
Signs the line is failing
Most failures show up first as a change in how the house behaves. Pressure fades at every tap, not just one. The meter moves when nothing is on, or the bill rises for no reason. A section of lawn stays green and wet in dry weather, or the ground sinks near the path of the pipe.
You can run a meter test to confirm. With every fixture off, watch the leak indicator on the meter. If it spins, shut the main valve inside the house and look again. A meter that stops points to a leak inside your property, and one that keeps running points to the line before the valve. Our leak detection page has the full test.
Low water pressure and what it can mean
Low pressure at every fixture points to the supply, not to a single faucet. Start by checking whether the main shutoff is fully open, because a valve that was only partly reopened after other work can strangle the whole house.
A pressure regulator, a clogged filter at the meter, galvanized pipe that has rusted from the inside and a leaking service line can all cause the same symptom. If the pressure is low only on the hot side, the water heater or its piping is the likelier cause, and water heater repair is the place to start.
If the pressure dropped suddenly and the meter is moving with everything off, treat it as a possible leak and call. Missouri American Water at 866-430-0820 can tell you whether there is a problem on the utility side of the meter.
A plumber is on the 24/7 line now. Call if the yard is wet and the pressure is gone.
Call (855) 575-2890Repair or replace the line
A short break in an otherwise sound pipe can be cut out and repaired with new pipe and proper fittings. When the line is old, has leaked in more than one place or is made of a material that has worn out, patching only moves the problem down the pipe.
- Locate the line. Before anyone digs, call 811 so buried utilities are marked. This is a safety step, and it is free to the caller.
- Confirm the leak position. We use the meter, pressure checks and listening gear to narrow where the line is losing water.
- Dig only what is needed. The trench is sized to the repair, and we protect lawn, drive and nearby lines where we can.
- Pipe, test and backfill. New pipe goes in, we check for leaks under pressure, and the trench is closed in layers.
Trenchless methods exist for some lines, but they depend on the layout and soil, and not every property suits them. We tell you what applies before we start.
What decides the price of a water line job
Water line work is priced by length, depth and what sits on top of the pipe. We give a clear price before work starts, once we have a good idea of where the line runs.
A failed underground line is sometimes excluded from home policies, and some insurers offer separate coverage. Ask yours before the work starts.
Digging in Hazelwood and the cold that tests the line
The city asks residents to dial 811 before digging, and a plumber digging for a water line is no exception. Utility marks matter because gas, electric and sewer lines run through the same ground, and Spire, Ameren Missouri and MSD each serve the area.
The city also publishes a frost depth of 30 inches. A water line laid shallower than that is at risk in a hard freeze, and one that sits above it may need to be lowered when it is replaced.
For a split in a pipe inside the house, see burst pipe repair. If a cold snap left the whole system suspect, repiping may be worth a look. We serve Black Jack and the rest of the nearby area from the same line.
Drinking water service lines should be certified to the NSF/ANSI 61 standard, and AWWA C901 covers the polyethylene pipe commonly used for water services. Ask which material is going in the ground and whether it carries that certification.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. The line is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Call, tell us what you see in the yard and at the meter, and close the main valve inside the house. We offer same-day appointments when available.
It depends on where the break is. The main and the meter belong to Missouri American Water, and the part on your property may be yours. Confirm with the utility at 866-430-0820 before paying for a repair.
Low pressure at every tap, a soft or wet spot in the yard, a meter that moves with everything off and a bill that suddenly rises are the common ones.
Yes. 811 gets buried lines marked so no one hits gas, electric or sewer. Hazelwood asks everyone to call before digging.
Often yes. Plumbing permits in Hazelwood run through St. Louis County by way of the city, and we handle that paperwork when the job needs one.
Sometimes, with trenchless methods, but it depends on the layout, depth and soil. We tell you whether that applies once we see the line.
Questions about your situation? A licensed plumber is on the line any hour.
Call (855) 575-2890