Water Line Repair in Chantilly, VA

Where does Fairfax Water's job end and mine begin?

At the meter. Fairfax Water owns the service line up to and including the meter and takes care of the meter itself. Everything downstream, including the buried pipe from the meter to the main shutoff inside your house, belongs to you. That means a wet spot in the yard between the meter and the foundation, or a leak where the line enters the house, is a plumbing repair rather than a utility one. If water is coming up at the meter box or in the street, call Fairfax Water at 703-698-5800, or 703-698-5613 for emergencies and after hours.

Why would a line in a newer Chantilly neighborhood leak?

Chantilly grew around the Route 50 and Route 28 interchange, and its median home was built in 1987. Lines of that age are usually copper or plastic, and they tend to fail at fittings, at compression joints or where someone dug: a fence, a deck, an irrigation system or a new tree. Settling around foundations and freeze and thaw cycles in late winter can also loosen joints. A plumber can often find the spot with listening equipment, then expose only that section. If the pipe shows wear along its length, a full replacement may be the smarter spend.

Do I need a permit, and what about lead?

Fairfax County Land Development Services requires permits for new, repaired or relocated plumbing, applied for online through PLUS; the plumber can tell you whether your repair falls under that and file for it. On lead, Fairfax Water keeps an online service line material inventory and asks owners to report their side's pipe through its Lead Free Fairfax survey. In a home built in the late 1980s, your side is most likely copper or plastic, but a quick check where the line enters the house confirms it.

A local note

Chantilly has a lot of townhouse communities with shared yards and HOA landscaping rules. If the line runs under common ground, let the association know before anyone digs, and ask the plumber how the surface will be restored. Plumber Washington DC Pros is a referral line, not a plumbing company; your call reaches an independent local plumber.