Service Line Leak or No Water? First Steps
A service line break can flood a yard or basement and leave you without water. These steps reduce damage.
- Close the main valve inside the house and see if the leaking or flow stops.
- Check the meter with the main closed. A spinning meter points to the buried pipe.
- Look for wet, soft or sunken ground between the meter and the foundation.
- Keep children and pets away from any sinkhole or flooded area.
- Call the 24/7 line and tell us what the meter shows.
If water is gushing in the street or from a hydrant, call the borough or 911. If water is entering the basement near electrical equipment, leave and call 911.
Owner and Borough Responsibility in Hawthorne
In Hawthorne, the pipe from the curb to the house and any leaking valve are the owner's responsibility. A leaking hydrant or main in the road is the borough's. For a street leak, call the borough water emergency line or 911, and for low pressure or billing questions call the Hawthorne Water Department.
This split decides who you call first. If water is bubbling up in the road, report it to the borough. If the wet spot is in your yard or the meter spins with the main closed inside, the service pipe is yours and we can locate and repair it.
Shut-Off Valves and the Borough Shut-Off Fee
Most houses have a shut-off valve inside near the meter and a curb stop near the street. The inside valve is the one you use in an emergency. If it is stuck, leaking or missing, the whole house can be hard to isolate.
If the borough has to shut off water to the house, the borough charges a fee for that. A leaking valve is the owner's responsibility, so replacing a failing main valve ahead of time can save a worse call later. Ask us to check yours during any visit.
Service Line Materials and How They Fail
Older homes often have a service line that has not been touched in decades. This table shows common materials.
| Material | Common in | How it fails | Repair or replace |
|---|---|---|---|
| Galvanized steel | Older homes | Corrodes inside, restricts flow, pinholes. | Replace, usually the whole line. |
| Copper | Many homes | Pinholes, joint failure, ground movement. | Spot repair or replace. |
| Lead (possible in very old lines) | Pre-modern lines | Health concern, not usually a burst. | Replace, ask the borough. |
| Plastic (PE or similar) | Newer lines | Damage from digging or fittings. | Repair the damaged section. |
If the line is leaking, a leak detection visit can locate the exact point before digging.
Galvanized Service Line Replacement Through June 30, 2031
Hawthorne has a program to replace galvanized service lines. The borough has set a deadline of June 30, 2031.
Borough pays main to curb
The borough covers replacement from the main in the street to the curb.
Borough pays curb to meter
The borough also covers the segment from the curb to the meter.
In-house plumbing is yours
Piping inside the house stays the owner's responsibility.
Check your address first
Ask Public Works what applies before you hire anyone to replace a galvanized line.
We handle the house side
We can connect new service pipe to your interior plumbing and handle your portion.
How a Service Line Replacement Works
Locate and plan
We find the line route and the shut-offs, check for utilities and agree on a plan.
Dig and replace
We open the trench, replace the pipe with new service pipe and connect to the main and house.
Test and restore
We pressure test, check flow at fixtures and backfill the trench.
What Service Line Work Costs
Service line jobs vary a lot, so we do not quote by phone. After we locate the pipe, you get a clear price before work starts.
If a sudden failure caused damage, ask your insurer what documentation they need. We can describe the work in writing, and coverage decisions belong to your insurer.
Cold Weather and Your Service Line
Hawthorne averages 30 to 40 inches of snow a year, and cold weather can strain exposed pipe near the house. A pipe that enters through an unheated space can freeze. If you lose water in a cold snap, see our burst pipe repair guidance on thawing.
Service Line Calls Around Hawthorne
We also serve neighbors such as Wyckoff from our Hawthorne base. Water source and responsibility rules differ by town, so we check them with you.
Common Questions
Yes. Our line is open 24/7, including evenings, weekends and holidays. A service line break can flood a yard or leave you without water, so call right away.
The owner is responsible for the pipe from the curb to the house and for a leaking valve. The borough handles the main in the street. Call Public Works to confirm what applies to you.
Hawthorne plans to replace all galvanized service lines by June 30, 2031, with the borough paying main to curb and curb to meter. Piping inside the house stays with the owner. Ask the borough about your address.
The borough charges a fee to shut off water to a house. Knowing where your inside shut-off is can avoid the need.
Close the main inside and watch the meter. If it still moves, the leak is between the meter and the street, or in the buried pipe near the house.
Requirements depend on the scope. Ask the Borough Building Department and Public Works before work. We can help you ask the right questions.
Local figures on this page come from the Hawthorne Water Department's 2026 Water Quality Report. Check current numbers with those sources before you rely on one.