Recently a homeowner in NYC had his water turned off by the DEP due to a leaking water main that was surfacing in the roadway. The owner did not understand why his water was turned off and how this could happened without notice.
To his surprise he was made aware by his tenant that DEP was at the house 3 days prior. Upon arrival DEP performed a noise test on the water line and issued a “3 day notice” due to the water main leak in the roadway.
Roadway leak |
The 3 day notice was supposed to serve as a warning notice that the water main must be replaced within 3 days or the water would be turned off at the city tap connection.
Unfortunately his tenant did not understand and decided to ignore the notice.
Due to the severity of the broken water main the DEP had no choice but to open the roadway and turn the water off.
DEP digs to close the water |
Is it possible that DEP would turn off the water without a 3 day notice?
Typically this would not happen unless the water main leak was causing interference with another utility. If the water leak was surfacing in a neighbors house and causing damage. Or if it had caused an undermine of the roadway resulting in a dangerous situation.
What to do if your water is turned off
First you should contact a Licensed Master Plumber to analyze the situation and determine exactly why the water was turned off. Once the plumber has concluded on the site visit he should make a suggestion on how to repair or replace the pipe and get the water back on as quick as possible.
What does the water main installation process look like?
The process is pretty standard but may differ pending the size of pipe being installed as well as the surrounding conditions the plumber is working in.
Watch here for a step by step process detailing the water main installation process here
