Is it time for a new service line?
The service is one lone pipe, running from the city's curb stop, usually near the sidewalk, to the main shut-off inside your house. A pre-1955 house may yet draw its water through lead, and many postwar houses had galvanized steel that rusts from the inside. Both deserve attention.
- Weak pressure when two fixtures run at once
- Brown or rusty water after the taps sit unused
- A dull grey pipe entering the basement that shows a bright mark when scraped and ignores a magnet, a likely sign of lead
- Wet ground or a sinkhole along the path from the street
What we bring
- Copper, PEX and transition fittings
- Tubing cutter, torch, crimp and press tools
- Moisture meter and pressure gauge
Tested before we leave
- Section held under house pressure
- Joints wiped and checked dry
- Main reopened slowly to push out the air
On the job: what we open, clear and test
We first confirm the material and route. Inside, the pipe is examined where it comes through the foundation. Outside, the path is located and, where possible, the new line is pulled or bored through rather than trenched, which spares more of the lawn and garden. Copper or approved plastic tubing is brought into the basement, a new main shut-off is fitted, and the system is flushed and pressure-checked.
The city owns the portion between the main and the property line. Toronto Water has a program for replacing the public side of lead services, and coordinating with it means the entire run, not just your half, ends up renewed. Permits are required for the private-side work.
What can change the job
- Distance from the street and depth of the line
- Driveways, walkways and mature trees along the route
- Foundation entry point and any finished walls in the basement
- Coordination timing with the city for the public portion
Etobicoke homes and this job
Older stretches of Etobicoke, from the lakeshore villages up through the 1950s subdivisions around the West Mall, contain a mix of lead, galvanized and early copper services. Houses that have been renovated sometimes have new copper inside, while the original pipe still runs under the front lawn. Replacing the service often pairs naturally with lead pipe replacement inside the walls or full repiping when galvanized branches remain.
A new service can also quiet a house. If you have been hearing knocks or vibrations, our article on noisy pipes covers causes that sometimes trace back to an old, poorly supported line.
Before you call
If it is easy to reach, take a picture of the supply pipe and meter on the street side of the basement. Find the main shut-off and check whether it turns. If you have had a lead test from the city or a lab, keep the results handy. Let us know about anything along the front yard route: sprinklers, gas meters or newly laid interlock.