You have been enjoying three consecutive days without any rain or snowfall however, the damp spot in front of your house has not subsided. You have walked up and down your street and have noticed the wet section of roadway is in front of your house and no other location.
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The first move should be to contact the local water department which is DEP in NYC. They will first close the main control valve inside your house and perform a noise test on your water line. The water line should be completely silent, if the DEP fieldworker hears any indication of a water leak he will continue with his investigation which may result in a 3 day notice violation to have the water main replaced.
Sample 3 Day Notice |
If your water line is completely silent, he will begin knocking on your neighbor’s doors to see if there is a noise indicating a leak. Usually after reviewing the pipe at two or three houses, it is concluded where the water leak is coming from and the respective property is required to fix the pipe. The property owner is usually issued a 3 day notice stating that they must have the water main repaired within three days before any further actions are made by the NYC DEP. In some cases the DEP will turn the water off from the roadway leaving the homeowner with no water and still having to replace the water main.
Turns Water Off |
Replacing the water main is a standard process for any NYC Licensed and Bonded Plumber who has the experience to work below street level. In many cases the homeowner will entertain a non-licensed plumber just to save a few dollars, unfortunately this usually does not end up well and leaves the homeowner with no guarantee.
Watch here for our video on the water line installation process
