Water line repair and replacement

Which line is it?

• The water service is the pipe from the City watermain into your home. In Toronto, the City owns the part up to your property line, and the rest is yours.
• The lines inside the house carry hot and cold water from the meter to your fixtures. All of these are your responsibility.

The fix and the amount of work are very different, so finding out which one is failing comes first.

If water is leaking now

Close the main valve, usually near the meter where the water line comes in. See how to shut off your water. If that does not stop it, or the leak is on the street side of the valve, call us. In Toronto, you can call 311 about a leak on the City's side. Phones are answered. Overnight calls are booked first thing in the morning, so shut off the water first and tell us what you are seeing.

Repair or replace?

A single damaged section or fitting can often be repaired. Replacing makes more sense when leaks keep appearing along the same pipe, when the pipe has corroded from the inside, or when the material itself is the problem. We show you what we found and explain both options before anything starts.

• Lead water services in older homes
• Kitec pipe, with its coloured lines and brass fittings
• Galvanized lines that have narrowed over the years. See repiping.

Replacing the line from the street

Replacing your part of the water service usually means digging along its route, bringing the new pipe through the foundation and connecting it inside. We explain what will be dug up before you decide. If the City also has work to do on its side, the timing is worth planning together.

Is it the line, or something else?

Weak flow at only one tap is usually that tap. Weak flow everywhere can be a partly closed valve, a failing pressure regulator or an old pipe, and sometimes it is on the City's side. See low water pressure for what to check first. A line that froze needs a different approach. See frozen pipes.

Financing through Financeit

Financing is available through Financeit for eligible residential projects. Ask Waterworks about the options for your job. Financing is subject to credit approval. Terms and conditions apply.