Every house in Beaverton gets its water through a single buried pipe, usually called the service line or the main water line. It runs from the meter box near the street, under the yard, and into the house, where it meets the main shutoff valve. Because you never see it, a leak in that line tends to show up as something else first: a strange bill, a wet patch of lawn or pressure that seems weaker than it used to be.
Signs your water line is leaking outside
- A patch of lawn that stays soggy or greener than the rest, often in a line between the meter and the house
- A low spot or small sinkhole along the route of the pipe
- Water standing in the meter box when it has not rained
- Water coming up through cracks in the driveway or a walkway
- Low pressure at every faucet, not just one
- A water bill that jumps with no change in how you use water
- The sound of running water near the front wall of the house with everything turned off
In fall and winter, rain hides a lot of this. A soggy yard in November is normal. A soggy strip that stays wet through a dry week is not.
Confirm it with the meter test
Turn off every tap, appliance and irrigation zone. Go to the meter and watch the small leak indicator, a little triangle or star-shaped dial on most meters. If it turns while nothing is running, water is leaving the plumbing somewhere.
Next, close the main shutoff valve where the line enters the house. Look where the water line comes into the house, often low on the garage wall or just inside the crawlspace. Go back to the meter:
- If the indicator stops, the leak is inside the house.
- If it keeps turning, the leak is on the buried line between the meter and the house.
Our guide to a water meter running with everything off walks through the inside-the-house checks if the test points there.
Who is responsible for the line?
Around Beaverton, water comes from the City of Beaverton or Tualatin Valley Water District, depending on your street, with a few smaller districts at the edges. The provider looks after the meter and the pipe on the street side of it. The pipe from the meter to the house belongs to the property owner, and so does the repair.
If water is bubbling up inside the meter box itself, or on the street side of it, call your water provider first. That part may be theirs to fix, and they will not charge you for it.
Why these lines start leaking
- Age and material. Older homes may still have galvanized steel or copper service lines. Galvanized pipe rusts from the inside and copper can pit. Many newer homes use polyethylene, which holds up well but can split at fittings or where it was kinked during installation.
- Ground movement. Soil that shifts as it soaks and dries puts stress on joints, especially on hillside lots around Cooper Mountain and Murrayhill.
- Roots. Tree roots wrap around the line and squeeze or crack it over time.
- Digging. A fence post, a sprinkler install or a landscaping project can nick a line that was buried shallower than expected.
- Freezing. Lines are usually deep enough to avoid freezing, but the short exposed section where the line rises into the house can split in a hard cold snap.
How the leak gets found
Finding the exact spot is most of the job. A plumber will usually trace the route of the line, then use acoustic listening equipment to hear where water escapes under pressure. On metal pipe a locator can follow the line; plastic lines are harder to trace, which is why a careful locate matters before anyone digs. The aim is one small hole over the leak instead of a trench across the whole yard. Our plumbing leak detection page explains the tools.
Repair or replace?
If the line is in decent shape and the leak is a single split or a failed fitting, a spot repair is usually enough: dig at the leak, cut out the damaged piece and join in new pipe.
Replacing the whole line makes more sense when:
- The line is old galvanized steel and has already leaked before
- Pressure is low across the house because the pipe is narrowed by rust
- The pipe is undersized for the house as it is now
- There are several weak spots along the run
A new line can often be pulled through the ground with trenchless methods, which leaves lawns, paths and driveways mostly intact. Our water line repair and water main repair pages cover both options.
What your service line is made of
The material of your water line tells a plumber a lot about how it is likely to fail and whether a repair will last.
- Galvanized steel. Common in homes built before the 1960s and still found in some older Beaverton neighborhoods. It rusts from the inside, which narrows the pipe and lowers pressure long before it leaks. Once galvanized line starts leaking, more leaks usually follow.
- Copper. Widely used from the middle of the last century onward. It lasts a long time, but it can pit and develop pinholes, especially in some soil and water conditions.
- Polyethylene. Black or blue plastic tubing used in many homes from the 1970s on. It resists corrosion, but older types can become brittle, and the fittings and connections are common leak points.
- PVC. Rigid plastic pipe found in some installations. The glued joints can fail, and the pipe can crack if the ground shifts.
- PEX and modern polyethylene. Used for most new and replacement service lines. Flexible, corrosion resistant and well suited to trenchless installation.
If you do not know what your line is made of, look where it comes up through the floor or wall to the main shutoff. The few inches you can see usually tell you, although the buried part may be different if the line was repaired before.
Long lines on hillside and large lots
On larger lots and hillside properties, such as those around Cooper Mountain, Murrayhill and Cedar Hills, the service line can run a long way from the meter to the house, sometimes up a slope or under a driveway and landscaping. A longer line has more length to fail, more soil movement acting on it and more ground to search when it leaks.
Hillside lines can also see higher pressure at the low end, depending on where the meter sits. A pressure reducing valve near the house protects the plumbing inside, but the line from the meter to that valve still sees full street pressure.
Trenchless water line replacement
When a line needs replacing, digging a trench the whole way from the meter to the house is no longer the only option. Trenchless methods install a new line with just two small pits, one at each end:
- Pipe pulling or bursting. A cable is fed through the old pipe and used to pull a new line through, often splitting the old pipe as it goes.
- Directional boring. A drill head bores a new path underground, steered from the surface, and the new line is pulled back through it. This works well when the old line is badly collapsed or runs a poor route.
Trenchless replacement leaves lawns, gardens, walkways and driveways mostly untouched. It is not right for every property, since rocky soil, other utilities nearby or a line with sharp bends can make digging the better choice, but it is worth asking about whenever the line runs under something you would rather not tear up. A mature tree, a paver patio or a stamped concrete driveway over the line are all good reasons to ask whether the new pipe can go underneath instead of through them.
What happens on the day of the repair
- The plumber confirms the route of the line and marks other buried utilities, after the 811 locate request has been completed.
- The water is shut off at the meter or the curb valve.
- A hole is dug at the leak, or pits at each end for a trenchless replacement.
- The damaged section is cut out and replaced, or the new line is pulled through.
- The line is connected at both ends, flushed and pressure tested.
- The water is turned back on and the plumber checks the connections and the house for leaks.
- The hole is backfilled and the area tidied.
Most spot repairs are finished the same day. A full replacement may take longer, depending on length and access. Expect some air and cloudy water from the taps for a few minutes once the water is back on.
Leaks where the line enters the house
Not every service line leak is out in the yard. The point where the line comes through the foundation or up through the floor is a common trouble spot. The pipe there passes from the ground into the house, often through a sleeve or a hole in the concrete, and it can rub, corrode or crack where it touches the foundation.
The main shutoff valve and the pressure reducing valve usually sit right there as well, and both can leak at their fittings or packing as they age. Water around the base of the wall where the line enters, damp soil in the crawlspace at that corner or rust on the valves are all signs to look for. A leak in this spot is often easier to repair than one under the lawn, since it can be reached from inside the house or the crawlspace.
Insurance and a leaking service line
Standard homeowner policies vary on buried water lines. Some cover damage the leak causes to the house but not the cost of repairing the pipe itself. Others exclude underground lines entirely unless a separate endorsement was added. Check your policy, and if the leak has caused damage inside the house, take photos and call your insurer early.
Permits and inspections
Replacing a water service line usually needs a plumbing permit, through the City of Beaverton or Washington County depending on where you live, and an inspection before the trench is closed. A licensed plumber takes care of the permit. Small spot repairs may not need one, but ask, since requirements depend on the work.
Protecting the line once it is fixed
- Make a simple sketch of the route of the line, with measurements from the house and the meter, and keep it with your home records.
- Call 811 before any digging project, and remember that your own service line will not be marked by the utility.
- Avoid planting trees with aggressive roots near the line.
- Have the water pressure checked. A failed pressure reducing valve puts extra strain on the whole system.
- Watch your water bill and check the meter now and then with everything off.
If the leak turns out to be inside the house rather than in the yard, our guide to slab leak signs covers leaks under concrete floors, and our guide to what causes sudden water leaks covers the rest.
Common questions
How do I know where my water line runs?
It usually runs in a fairly straight line from the meter box to the point where the line enters the house at the main shutoff. A plumber can trace it with a locator, or with acoustic equipment for plastic lines.
Can a water line leak make my yard sink?
Yes. A leak washes soil away over time, which can leave a low spot or small sinkhole along the route of the pipe. Keep people and vehicles off a sinking area until it is repaired.
Will the repair damage my lawn?
A spot repair leaves one hole, which is backfilled. Trenchless replacement leaves two small pits. Traditional trenching disturbs a strip along the whole route.
How long can I wait to fix a slow leak in the yard?
A slow leak is rarely an emergency, but it should not be left for months. It costs money on every bill, it can wash out the soil around the pipe and it usually gets bigger. Book a repair within a few days, and sooner if the ground is getting soft or water is reaching the foundation.
Should I repair the leak or replace the whole line?
If the line is a newer plastic or copper pipe with one split or a failed fitting, a spot repair is usually enough. If it is old galvanized steel, has leaked before or pressure has been poor for years, replacing the whole line often saves money and digging over time. A plumber can show you what the pipe looks like at the leak and give you both options so you can decide.
Is low water pressure always a leak?
No. Low pressure can also come from a failing pressure reducing valve, rust inside galvanized pipe or a partly closed valve. The meter test helps tell them apart.
What to do while you wait
If the leak is large, close the main shutoff at the house so you are not paying for water running into the yard. Remember that this also cuts water to the house, so fill a few jugs first. If the main valve inside will not close, the curb valve in the meter box can be turned with a meter key, though many water providers prefer that you call them to do it.
A slow leak can wait a day or two. Water bubbling up through the lawn, a hole opening in the yard or no water pressure at all should be handled the same day. Call us and tell us what the meter test showed. That one detail tells the plumber where to start.