The main water line carries water from the meter or well to your house, and when it fails the signs usually show up outside first: a soggy or unusually green patch of yard, a sinkhole along the line’s path, or water pooling near the foundation. Inside, you may notice a sudden drop in water pressure, rusty or cloudy water, or a water bill that jumps with no change in use.

Older lines made of galvanized steel or polybutylene, lines that have been repaired more than once, and lines disturbed by tree roots or ground movement are the most likely to need replacement. Freeze-and-thaw cycles in mountain towns are hard on shallow lines too.

Every Element location repairs and replaces main water lines, using electronic leak detection to confirm where the line has failed before any digging starts.