Problems with your Water Service 

Water Outage

If you are experiencing a service interruption or are having other problems with your water service (irregular pressure or flow, different color or smell, etc):

Please check the Ogden City website first to see if there is a bulletin announcing a water outage in your area.  If nothing is shown at the top of the webpage, check the Alert Center.

If there are no posted outages in your area, please contact Ogden City Water at 801-629-8321, or report your outage (or other water issue) on a web form here.

Water Lateral Ownership

Details for other water lateral, curb & sidewalk configurations:

Typical - With Park Strip & Sidewalk

With Sidewalk at Curb

When there is a Curb-Stop Valve

When there is no Curb

Could my water lateral (supply line) be leaking?

If you suspect there is a leak in your water supply lateral, you may call Ogden City Water (801-629-8321) and request that a meter crew come to your home and check for a leak.  It is helpful to know where your house's water shutoff valve is, so that the crew can isolate your water lateral from any of the house piping while they monitor it.

Most leaks happen due to deterioration in the pipe.   The lifespan of a metal water lateral usually ranges between 20-70 years. In ideal circumstances, a copper water lateral will last 70 years or longer. However, things like tree roots, acidic soils, tree roots and hard water can cause leaks and breaks in the pipe can reduce that lifespan to 20 years or less. When electrolysis (stray electric currents in the soils) occurs, the pipe may deteriorate within 2-3 years. New PVC/Polypipe laterals are not as susceptible to the conditions that deteriorate metal pipes, and are often used in replacing supply lines today.

Who can work on my water lateral?

For the portion of the water lateral that is located on private property, the homeowner or their authorized agent may perform repairs and replacement. The work will be inspected and must meet current plumbing code requirements.  

For the portion of the water lateral that falls within the City Right-of-Way, the work must be done by a licensed contractor with one of these classifications, who has Insurance and Bonding on file with Ogden City.  This is due to the type of utilities that are located in the right-of-way, and the liabilities and risks associated with damaging any of these utilities.  

Because it is recommended that the entire length of the water lateral be replaced all at once, the homeowner may consider having the same contractor performing the work in the right-of-way also complete the work on the private property portion as well.

Insurance Recommendations

Because of the rising costs associated with repairs to and replacement of water laterals, it is highly recommended that homeowners search out insurance policies that help cover the costs of these repairs or replacements.  Many homeowners' insurance policies do not cover the costs of utility line repairs and replacements, and often this type of coverage must be found in third-party policies that specialize in covering utilities connecting to the home. 

Many factors affect the cost of underground sewer replacement or repair.  Consult with an insurance agent prior to purchasing a policy to see what the average market cost of a repair can be.

(Return to Engineering Info for the Public)