Water Line Repair in Riverside, CA

Where your part of the line begins

Riverside Public Utilities Water Rule 11 sets the split. RPU owns and maintains the service lateral, meter and meter vault, up to and through the rear union of the meter. Everything after that union, the buried pipe to the house and the plumbing inside, is furnished and maintained by the customer, along with any backflow assembly RPU requires. If the leak is at the meter or on the street side, call RPU at (951) 782-0330. If it is on your side, it is a job for a plumber.

A note for some addresses: Per the City General Plan, Western Municipal Water District serves an area of southeast Riverside and Eastern Municipal Water District serves a small area of the city, so your water provider and its rules may differ. Your water bill tells you which one you have.

Common signs of a failing service line

• A soggy strip of lawn or a sunken spot between the meter and the house
• Water pooling near the meter box with every fixture off
• Pressure that has dropped throughout the house
• Rusty or discolored water from an old galvanized line
• A meter that keeps moving after you close the house shutoff

Lead and galvanized lines in older homes

RPU reports it has replaced all known lead service lines on its side and publishes a Service Line Material Inventory map at RiversidePublicUtilities.com/ServiceLineInventory. Homes built before about 1986 may still have a privately owned lead or galvanized line, and that is the owner's to replace. If your house is from that era and the line has never been changed, have a plumber identify the material where it enters the home.

Repair or replace

One leak in otherwise sound copper or plastic pipe can often be dug out and repaired. Old galvanized, lead, or a line that has leaked more than once is better replaced. Depending on the yard, the new pipe can go in an open trench or be pulled through with trenchless methods that spare landscaping and concrete. It is also a good time to check the pressure regulator, which RPU rules require where static pressure exceeds 80 psi.

Before any digging

Call 811 at least two working days before excavation so public utilities are marked. SoCalGas does not mark customer-owned gas lines, so a plumber may need a private locate if gas piping crosses the yard. Ask whether the job needs a permit from City of Riverside Building & Safety.

What sets the price

Line length, depth, what sits on top of it (lawn, driveway, hardscape), pipe material, trench versus trenchless, and permit requirements all play a part.