You are, in almost every case. The water utility owns the main in the street and usually the curb stop at the property line, and the service line from the curb stop to your house belongs to you, so a break in that stretch is yours to repair. The exact boundary is set by your utility's tariff, so one phone call to them settles it before anybody digs.
That is the rule on public water. If your house is on a private well, there is no utility line at all and the whole system is yours. The rest of this post is about the common case: a house on a public water system, a leak or a dead tap, and a question about whose problem it is.
Who owns what, from the street to the house
- The main. The pipe under the street belongs to the water system. A break in it is the system's repair and the system's cost. See water main breaks and boil notices.
- The curb stop. The valve at the property line is normally the utility's. New Jersey American Water, for one, says on its customer rights and responsibilities page that it owns and maintains the line from the main to the curb stop and the curb stop itself.
- The service line. From the curb stop to the building, the same page says the customer owns and maintains it. Aqua New Jersey's tariff defines the same connecting line and puts its upkeep on the customer.
The Board of Public Utilities approves each regulated utility's tariff, and the tariff is the document that settles a dispute. Municipal water departments set the line in their own ordinances. Not sure who supplies your water? We list it town by town.
When the utility pays anyway
There are two exceptions worth knowing. A 2011 Board of Public Utilities order for United Water New Jersey says the company repairs a customer's line when it damaged that line while installing a meter pit or curb stop, and otherwise leaves the service line with the property owner. And lead: New Jersey's P.L. 2021, c.183 requires lead service lines to be replaced by 2031, which changes who is driving that work. Our lead service line page walks through it.
How to tell which side is broken
- Ask a neighbor. A whole street out is the main.
- Shut every fixture off and watch the meter. If it still moves, water is leaking somewhere past the meter.
- Look at the ground. A soft patch between the curb and the house points at your service line. Water at the curb or in the road points at the utility's side.
- Call the utility. They own the curb stop, they know where the boundary is, and they can shut the water off at the street.
Our no water in the house, or water in the yard guide has the meter test in full, and finding your shutoff and cleanout helps before anyone arrives.
What the repair involves
Before any digging, the line has to be marked: call 811. A broken service line is usually fixed one of two ways, a spot repair of the failed section or a full replacement from the curb to the house, and the choice depends on the pipe's age and material. Our water service line replacement and sewer and water line services cover both. The water service replacement cost page and the cost overview show our published ranges and what moves them. In winter, a line that froze is a separate question, covered in frozen or burst water line.
Where we do this work
We replace and repair service lines across northern New Jersey, including Vernon, Hamburg and Newton. The utility and the boundary differ from town to town, which is why the first call goes to your own water system.
Common questions
Who is responsible for a water main break in New Jersey? The water system. The main in the street and the curb stop belong to the water purveyor, and repairing them is their work and their cost.
Who pays when the water line from the street to my house leaks? The property owner, in most cases. The service line from the curb stop to the house is the customer's to maintain under utility tariffs such as New Jersey American Water's and Aqua New Jersey's.
Who owns the curb stop? Usually the water utility. Do not dig for it or turn it yourself. Call your water provider, who can find it and shut the water off.
Is the water line under the street my responsibility? The part under the street that connects to the main, up to the curb stop, is normally the utility's. Your utility's tariff or your town's ordinance names the exact point.
Do I need to call 811 before repairing a broken water line? Yes. Any excavation needs a markout first, and it protects you from hitting gas, electric or fiber on the way to the leak.
Does the water company have to replace my lead service line? New Jersey law, P.L. 2021, c.183, requires all lead service lines to be replaced by 2031. See our lead service line page for how the program works for homeowners.
Still not sure how this applies to your property? That is what a free on-site estimate is for. Call 862-268-2510 or tell us what is going on, and we will give you a straight answer, including when the answer is that you do not need us.
