NoVA's aging water infrastructure: what it means for your home

Rusty water from the tap after utility crews finish work on your street is a reminder of how old the system under Northern Virginia's roads is. Many of the mains under Fairfax and Arlington streets have been in service for decades, and both counties have ongoing work to rehabilitate and replace them.

What most homeowners don't know is that the pipe running from that main to the house is largely theirs. Your responsibility doesn't start at your front door. It starts at the curb.

Old mains, and what they do to your water

As mains age, they can start affecting water quality, pressure and reliability. More sediment gets into the supply as older pipe deteriorates from the inside. Breaks happen more often, too. In older neighborhoods where some mains are decades old, you've probably seen the crews and the yellow tape more than you'd like.

Some pressure problems come from the street, not your house. Pressure that drops across the whole street, or dips while crews are working on the main, points to the main.

The pipe from the street to your house is yours

The pipe that connects your home to the water main is called the service line. The utility typically owns the short section from the main to the meter. Most of the service line, from the meter to your house, is the homeowner's responsibility, not the utility's.

That matters because your service line is usually about as old as the main it connects to. If the main in your street was installed in 1975, there's a good chance your service line went in around the same time. That's about half a century of wear on the pipe that delivers every drop of water to your home.

Most people don't know they own this pipe, and that's normal. Homeowners often call us about water quality or pressure, expecting a problem inside the house, when the cause turns out to be a service line they didn't know was theirs.

Signs your service line is wearing out

Watch for these:

• Discolored water that doesn't clear. Some rust-colored water right after main work is normal. If it lasts for days after the crews finish, your service line may be picking up sediment that a newer pipe would flush clear.
• Pressure problems at your house only. If the neighbors see it too, the main is the likely cause. If it's only your house, the service line may be the weak link.
• Wet spots in the yard. Unexplained soggy patches between the street and your house are the serious warning sign. A buried service line can leak at a joint or anywhere along its run, and a small leak there can grow into a bigger problem, including water working its way toward your basement.

What our technicians check

When we look at an aging service line, we start by sorting out what's yours and what belongs to the utility. Then we check the line itself. Our water leak detection work helps pinpoint where the line is leaking, and if the line is past saving, we handle main water line replacement from the meter to the house.

We also look at what's inside. Homes built when these mains were new often have plumbing that reflects their era, and sediment from aging mains wears on what it flows through. Day after day, it affects everything from your washing machine to your water heater. Our diagnostics and specialty team can tell you whether a problem starts at the street, in the service line, or inside your walls.

The counties are working through their mains street by street. Your best move as a homeowner is knowing what you own, what you don't, and which signs to watch for.

When to call

If your water runs rusty for days after street work, your pressure drops when your neighbors' doesn't, or you spot wet patches between the curb and the house, we'll check the service line. Pioneer Plumbers is a family-owned, licensed and insured company, and we give a written, upfront quote before any work begins. Call (703) 508-3088 or reach out through our contact page to book a visit.