Burst Pipe Repair in Longmont, CO

Who handles a break on the line outside?

The City of Longmont runs its own water and sewer utility. Its Water Utilities office takes calls at (303) 651-8416 on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; after hours, the city sends callers to Longmont Public Safety Dispatch. The city's pages are clear that the sewer service line belongs to the property owner, but they don't spell out where the city's share of the water service line ends. If water is coming up near the meter or in the street, call the utility before hiring anyone to dig. A break inside the house, in a crawl space or in a garage wall is a private repair, and that's where a plumber comes in.

Which Longmont homes see the most freeze breaks?

Longmont's median home was built in 1991, and about 37% of the housing predates 1980. The older share sits closer to the historic core around Main Street, where decades of remodeling can leave a mix of copper, galvanized and plastic pipe. The joints between materials, and lines in exterior walls or unheated additions, are where a freeze tends to break through. Newer subdivisions see fewer worn pipes but plenty of lines run through garages, attics and cantilevered floors that get colder than the rest of the house. A sudden temperature drop after a mild spell catches the most homes off guard.

Does the city need to be involved in the repair?

Longmont's Building Services office requires a permit for any changes to plumbing systems, and the plumber can tell you whether replacing a run or rerouting a line counts. Permits go through the Development Services Center at 385 Kimbark Street, (303) 651-8332. The city also classified every water service line in its system as non-lead in its inventory, so if a yard line needs replacing, the choice comes down to age, damage and depth rather than lead.

A Longmont note on soft water

Longmont reports its water as soft, about 1 to 2 grains per gallon. Soft water doesn't cause freeze breaks, but it does mean less scale buildup on valves, so a main shutoff that hasn't been turned in years has a fair chance of working. Test it before winter so you know.