Who Owns Which Part of the Line
The Town of Danvers owns, repairs and maintains the water service up to and including the curb stop. The owner generally takes over from the curb stop to the building when the stop sits in the public way, and owns the service pipe on private property. So a leak at the street connection is a call to the town, while a leak under your driveway or lawn is yours.
That boundary decides who pays, which is why the first thing a plumber does is locate the curb stop and trace the pipe toward the house. If the town's side is the problem, we tell you so rather than dig on your property. If you think the leak is on the street side, contact the Town of Danvers DPW Water Division.
Dig, Slide or Pull: Trench Versus Trenchless
Replacing a buried service pipe can be done in two broad ways. The right one depends on what sits above the line and how long it is.
| Method | Best when | Disruption | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open trench | Short run, open lawn, a clear leak location | Dug channel from the break to sound pipe | Straightforward and visible, but lawn, landscaping or a driveway edge needs restoring |
| Spot repair | One failed fitting or short crack, pipe otherwise good | A small hole at the leak | Quick and low cost, but old pipe may fail again nearby |
| Trenchless pull or burst | Long run under a drive, walk or mature trees | Two small access pits at each end | Needs a suitable path and a pipe that can be threaded, not every line qualifies |
| Full replacement | Corroded old line with repeated leaks | Trench or trenchless over the whole run | Highest upfront work, but ends the repair cycle |
Trenchless methods avoid cutting a long trench, but they are not magic. A line with sharp bends, other buried utilities close by or a collapsed section may still need an open excavation. We explain the method on site and show you the reason for it.
Soggy Lawn or Spinning Meter: Signs of a Leaking Service
Wet ground, no rain
A soft or sunken strip of lawn between the curb and the house, especially in dry weather, often sits right on top of the pipe.
Meter still moving
With every fixture and appliance off, a meter dial that keeps turning means water is leaving the system somewhere between the meter and the taps.
Water bills that jump
A bill noticeably higher than your usual with no change in habits is a reason to check the meter before assuming the worst.
Water in the basement at one wall
Dampness where the line enters the foundation can come from a service pipe leak, not only groundwater. A plumber can tell the two apart.
If you cannot tell whether the loss is inside the house or outside it, our leak detection service listens to the pipe and pinpoints the break so only the necessary ground is opened.
Weak Pressure at Every Faucet
Low pressure that affects the whole house can come from several places, and a service line problem is only one of them. A half-closed main, a failed pressure reducer, a clogged strainer or a corroded pipe all choke flow. Galvanized lines in older houses are a common cause (see repiping for the inside-the-house side), because rust builds up inside until the opening is a fraction of its original size.
Before anyone digs, we check the simple items first: the main valve position, a pressure gauge on an outdoor spigot, and whether one floor is worse than another. A reading taken at the hose bib tells us if the problem starts at the street or inside the walls.
Water pooling over the line?
Close the main and call. Dispatch is open day and night for service line leaks in Danvers.
A Careful Word on Old Lead Lines
Some older homes across the region once had lead or lead-joined service pipes. In 2023 sampling, the Danvers 90th percentile for lead at the tap was 4.7 ppb, with one of 32 sites above 15 ppb, so results at the tap are generally low. Still, the pipe material on your own property is something you can check, and a plumber can identify it by scratching a short exposed section.
If your house is old and the line has never been replaced, ask the Danvers Water Division what it knows about your service. When we open a trench for any reason, we will tell you what the pipe is made of, and replacing it at that moment costs less than a second dig later.
Meter, Curb Stop and the Valves in Between
Between the street and your house the water passes through the curb stop, a shutoff the town uses to cut service, then the meter, then your main valve. A stuck or leaking main valve is a common reason a house cannot be isolated, and we often replace it during a service repair so the next emergency is a one-turn fix.
A wet yard can also come from a cracked drain, which our sewer line repair page covers. The meter itself belongs to the water system and is not something we alter. If you suspect the meter is misreading, call the Water Division. If the meter reads correctly and water is truly leaking, the pipe is the cause.
What We Do on the Day
Confirm the leak
We close the main, watch the meter and walk the line to find where the ground is wet.
Mark the boundary
Locating the curb stop tells us which side is yours and which is the town's.
Choose the method
Trench, spot repair or trenchless, with the reason explained and the price given before we start.
Repair, test and restore
New pipe is pressure tested, the meter is checked for stillness, and the excavation is backfilled in layers.
Massachusetts requires a permit before plumbing is installed, altered or replaced, and permits go only to licensed plumbers. A buried line replacement is a clear case, so the permit comes with the job. Just over the line in Peabody the city runs its own water department, so the curb stop rules there come from Peabody, not Danvers. Frost line depth is 48 inches, so the new pipe is set below it to avoid freezing.
What Drives The Price Of Service Line Work
Digging jobs vary more than almost any other plumbing repair, so we visit first and name the price before the shovel goes in.
Standard homeowner policies often exclude wear and tear on buried lines, though some riders cover them. Check with your insurer before you sign off on a replacement.
Want a firm number for your service line? Call (855) 575-2890
Staying Safe Until We Arrive
- Close the main valve inside the house.
- Keep children and pets off soft or sinking ground over the pipe line.
- Do not run the dishwasher or washing machine, since a partly filled system can drain back through the leak.
- Note the meter reading and the time so we can confirm the loss.
- Photograph the wet area before it dries.
Service Line Questions Answered
Yes. Our line runs around the clock. A lawn leak that is washing out soil or flooding a basement is treated as urgent, and we dispatch a licensed plumber the same day when available.
The town owns, repairs and maintains the water service up to and including the curb stop. If the break is on that side, the Water Division handles it. We help you work out which side you are on.
Often, yes. A spot repair opens only a small hole, and trenchless methods use two access pits. Some lines have bends or other utilities in the way, which can call for a trench.
Shut the main and watch the meter. If it still moves, the loss is outside the main valve or in a hidden section. Our leak detection work then narrows it down to the foot.
We speak only in general terms: if your pipe is lead or you cannot confirm what it is, replacement is worth planning. Ask the Water Division about your service material first.
Massachusetts requires a permit before plumbing is repaired or replaced, and only licensed plumbers can pull one. Danvers Inspectional Services at 1 Sylvan Street handles the local side.
A partly closed main, failed pressure reducer, clogged strainer or rusted pipe can all cause it. We test the pressure at an outside spigot to see where the loss begins.