Water coming out of the ground
A leaking service line can erode soil quickly and flood a yard, a driveway or a basement wall, so treat it as urgent. Dispatch is available 24/7. While you wait, close the home's main valve to stop supply to the house, then check whether water is still flowing outside.
If water keeps rising after the house valve is closed, the leak is ahead of that valve, either on the line or at the meter. Call us and tell the dispatcher exactly where the water is surfacing.
Close the house main valve
It is usually where the line enters the foundation. This isolates the house plumbing.
Look at the meter box without touching it
A full or bubbling box can mean a leak at the meter connections. Do not turn or loosen anything. The meter and setter are the city's.
Call the city for street-side leaks
If water is coming from the street, a hydrant or the city side of the meter, call Herriman City Water at 801-446-5323. After hours, press option 1 for water.
Keep people and cars off soft ground
Saturated soil can sink under a vehicle or a footstep. Mark the area and keep it clear.
You do not need to dig to prove the leak. A plumber can confirm it with the meter and listening gear before a shovel is used.
Where your responsibility begins and ends
The city owns and operates the meter and its setter. Herriman says tampering with either can result in a fine to the homeowner, and its secondary-water instructions tell residents not to connect to anything inside the meter box. Everything on the house side of the meter is yours to repair.
Where the city's side ends on your lot is something the Herriman water department can confirm. Ask before assuming a leak is yours, especially if the wet spot is at the meter lid. A plumber will not alter the meter, and neither should you.
Signs the service line is the problem
One sign is a hint. Two or three together are close to a diagnosis.
- The meter dial moves while the house main valve is closed.
- A patch of lawn stays green, spongy or muddy during a dry week.
- You hear hissing or running water near the main valve with everything off.
- Your bill climbs with no change in habits.
Our leak detection service uses acoustic and tracer-gas methods to pinpoint the break before the yard is opened.
Trench or trenchless, how the repair is chosen
| Method | How it works | Good fit | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spot repair in an open trench | Excavate to the leak and replace a short section with a coupling | A single break in an accessible, otherwise healthy line | Old pipe near the repair may fail next |
| Full open-trench replacement | Dig the whole route and lay new pipe | Corroded steel or galvanized, or a line with repeated leaks | Most disturbance to lawn, drive and landscaping |
| Pipe bursting | Pull a new plastic pipe through the old route, splitting the old pipe outward | Long runs under driveways, patios and mature landscaping | Needs an entry pit and an exit pit, and a straight enough route |
| Pulled-in new line by directional method | Bore a new path and pull the pipe in | Crossing a sidewalk, road edge or hardscape | Hard to use where many other utilities cross |
Trenchless saves lawn and concrete but is not free of digging. The two pits still have to be opened, and every method starts with the same utility call.
Meter running with the house valve closed? Call (385) 488-1892 before you dig.
Call (385) 488-1892Blue Stakes 811, the rule that comes first
In Utah, call Blue Stakes at 811 or 1-800-662-4111 before any excavation, however shallow. The statute requires notice at least 48 hours (counted in business days) and not more than 14 days before digging. Blue Stakes itself advises three business days, and a request stays valid for 21 days.
Crews use hand tools or vacuum excavation inside a 24 inch zone on either side of the marks. Blue paint means potable water, green sewer, purple irrigation, yellow gas and red electric.
Utilities do not mark private lines. Your water service, sewer lateral and sprinkler piping are yours to locate, which is why the plumber traces them first. Utah law excuses true emergencies from the waiting period, but a plumber will still call it in because gas and power run in the same corridors.
Low water pressure, sorted by cause
Herriman designs its culinary system for 60 to 120 psi desired pressure, with at least 45 psi at peak hour. That is a system standard, not a promise at your tap, and the city is divided into six pressure zones by elevation. A cheap gauge on a hose bib shows what you actually have.
If pressure is low at every fixture, check the main valve is fully open, then look for a failing pressure-reducing valve at the house entry. A leaking service line, a corroded galvanized section and a partly closed meter-side valve are the next suspects. If the whole street is weak, call the city. If only hot water is weak, look at the water heater and scaled-up aerators, which hard water clogs readily.
What Herriman soil and water add to the job
The city requires a geotechnical report for every footing excavation because soils vary across town. The Utah Geological Survey mapped collapsible and expansive soils in the north part of Herriman, and warns they can damage underground utilities when wetted. A leaking service line there can feed its own sinkhole, so do not wait to fix it.
Any new section must be buried below the frost line. Ask the Herriman building department what depth applies to your lot before the trench is closed.
The city has completed an initial lead service line inventory with a public map. Check it before deciding how much pipe to replace.
Backflow protection and plumbing installation tie-ins
When culinary water also feeds sprinklers, the city recommends a reduced pressure zone (RPZ) assembly tested within 10 days of first use and every year after by a certified tester. A vacuum breaker belongs on every hose bib.
Repairing a leak on an existing line does not need a permit in Herriman, but adding a new line does. If you want a new branch to a garage or an outdoor kitchen while the trench is open, say so. See our plumbing installation page.
What the price of a service line repair depends on
Underground work varies more than almost any other plumbing job, so the plumber should explain the choice of method before digging.
- Depth and length. A short spot repair is fast. A forty-foot replacement through landscaping is a day or more.
- Surface above the line. Lawn restores easily. Concrete, pavers and trees raise the cost or push the job toward trenchless.
- Pipe material. New copper, PEX or HDPE each have their own price and rules. Old galvanized or steel often fails at joints beyond the leak.
- Utility marking. Waiting for the 811 locate can add days, and private lines may need separate tracing.
Homeowners policies rarely pay to replace a worn service line, though some offer separate line-protection add-ons. Sudden damage to the house from the leak may be covered. Ask your insurer before work and keep photos.
Want your real number? Call (385) 488-1892 and describe where the water shows up.
Water line repair, answered
Who is responsible for the water line between the meter and my house?
The homeowner repairs the line on the house side of the meter. The meter and its setter are the city's, and tampering can bring a fine. Ask the Herriman water department to confirm the dividing point on your lot.
Do you handle water line emergencies at night or on weekends in Herriman?
Yes. Dispatch is staffed around the clock for broken service lines. Digging may wait for daylight and the utility locate, but the plumber can stabilize the leak and tell you what is safe to do overnight.
Should I touch or shut the water meter?
No. Use the home's main valve. The meter belongs to the city, and altering it can lead to a fine. For a street-side or meter-box leak, call Herriman City Water.
Do I have to call 811 before a repair?
Yes, before any dig. Blue Stakes asks for three business days notice and the statute sets 48 hours. True emergencies are excused from the wait, but crews still try to have lines marked.
Is trenchless always better?
No. Trenchless suits long runs under hardscape, but it needs entry and exit pits and a straight route. A short break in open yard is cheaper to spot repair in a trench.
Why is my water pressure suddenly low?
A leaking service line, a failing pressure-reducing valve and a partly closed valve are common causes. Check neighbors. If the whole street is low, call the city. Otherwise call us.
Do I need a permit?
Repairing an existing line does not, per the city. Adding a new line does, and a full reroute is worth asking the Herriman building department about. See burst pipe repair for in-house pipe failures.
Wet yard or weak pressure? Call (385) 488-1892 and give the dispatcher your address.
Call (385) 488-1892Sources and standards
The standards and local rules behind this service page are listed below. Rules and fees change, so read the current version before you rely on them.