A buried water main, replaced before the driveway gave way

The problem

When we pulled up at the Ruff house, water was already bubbling up from a small pit at the curb. The leak was running under the driveway slab, which meant every minute that passed was more dirt washing out from under the concrete. Left alone, the driveway would have started to settle and crack.

How we tackled it

We dug from the curb back along the side of the driveway, reached under the slab where we needed to, and pulled the failed section out. The pipe had cracked along the bottom, the classic signature of age and soil movement. With the new line in and the connections made up at both ends, we put a Watts pressure gauge on the system to confirm it was holding before we backfilled.

What changed

By the time we packed up, the gauge was reading full house pressure and the pit was dry. The driveway was still intact, and we left the yard rough-graded so sod could go back in once the soil settled.

What to do if this is happening to you

If you see bubbling water near your curb or driveway, especially after a dry spell, it’s almost always a main line leak. Caught early, the fix is straightforward; ignored, you end up paying for driveway repair on top of the new pipe.