Burst Pipe in Denver? What to Do in the First 10 Minutes

Minute one: where is the main valve?

Every gallon that comes through a split pipe is pushed by the full pressure of the street main, so stopping the supply matters more than anything else. Denver Water notes that the shutoff in a home is often where the main pipe comes through the foundation, frequently close to an outside faucet, and its frozen pipe guidance adds that in most single-family homes it sits on the basement or crawl space wall facing the street. Other places to check are next to the water heater, in a utility closet or near the laundry hookups.

Turn a round handle clockwise until it stops. A lever valve is closed when the handle sits crosswise to the pipe. If the break is on a single fixture, such as a toilet supply or the line under a sink, the small stop valve right behind that fixture may be enough.

What if the main will not close?

Old gate valves in older Denver houses sometimes seize. Do not force the handle with a wrench until it snaps. Instead, look for an outside curb stop or meter pit; the Columbine Water and Sanitation District suggests knowing where that curb stop box is for exactly this reason. Opening it usually takes a long key, and the meter may belong to the utility, so if you cannot close it, call your water provider's emergency line and ask them to shut the water at the curb. Denver Water's leak page says homes without a main shutoff should have one put in, which is a smart fix once the crisis is over.

Is it safe to be near the water?

Water and household current are a dangerous mix. The CDC advises turning off power at the main breaker or fuse if circuits or equipment are wet or near water, but it is clear that you should never step into standing water to reach the panel, and should not touch switches or tools while standing in water. If the panel is in a flooded basement, leave it and call an electrician. Keep the power to that area off until equipment has been checked and is completely dry.

If a basement water heater is gas-fired and you smell gas at any point, leave the house right away. From outside, call 911 and then your gas utility. In most of metro Denver that is Xcel Energy, whose gas emergency line is 1-800-895-2999; some outer towns use other gas providers or propane, and your utility is printed on your gas bill. Our page on what to do when you smell gas goes through it step by step.

Should you turn off the water heater?

If the broken line carries hot water, yes. A tank that keeps heating with no water coming in can be damaged. Switch an electric heater off at its breaker, as long as you can do so from dry ground, and set a gas unit to its pilot or vacation setting. Leave the tank alone otherwise. When water is back on and the break is fixed, refill the tank completely before turning the heat back up; if it will not relight or makes new noises, ask about water heater repair while the plumber is there.

A ten-minute checklist

Is the leak yours or the utility's?

Inside the house, every pipe and fixture belongs to the owner. Denver Water also says property owners are responsible for the service line that runs from the main all the way into the home, while Denver Water repairs its meters and mains. That means a break in the yard is usually a private water service line repair. If water is coming up in the street, the sidewalk or around the meter and you cannot tell whose side it is on, call the utility first.

Many suburbs, Lakewood and Centennial especially, are split among several water districts, so check the name on your water bill. Residents of Thornton and nearby towns and the rest of the metro can use the same approach: utility for the street side, plumber for the house side.

What should you tell the plumber?

A clear description gets the right parts on the truck. Mention whether the main is off, where the break is, the pipe material if you know it (copper, galvanized steel, PEX or CPVC), whether it is a hot or cold line, how it is reached (open basement ceiling or finished drywall) and whether the house has frozen before. If water is still running because no valve will close, say so first, because that changes the urgency. Calling through this site connects you with an independent local plumber for an emergency plumbing visit; in the east metro you can also reach someone for emergency service in Aurora, and for the northwest suburbs, burst pipe help in Westminster.

How do you protect your insurance claim?

• Take photos and video before cleanup, including the failed section of pipe, and keep that piece of pipe.
• Keep receipts for towels, fans, dehumidifiers and any hotel stay.
• Call your insurer the same day. The NAIC says policies typically cover a sudden and accidental discharge from plumbing, and that frozen pipe claims can hinge on whether reasonable steps were taken to prevent freezing.
• After the repair, ask your water provider about a bill credit. Denver Water says customers may qualify for a leak adjustment after a repair.

What happens after the first ten minutes?

Drying is now the race. The EPA says mold will not grow if wet materials are dried within 24 to 48 hours. Pull up wet rugs and pads, run fans and a dehumidifier, and open cabinets. Drywall can sometimes dry in place if it is not swollen and the seams are intact; soaked insulation and ceiling tiles usually have to come out. If the water came from a drain or sewer line rather than a clean supply pipe, the EPA advises protective gear and holding off on fans until contamination is ruled out.

The plumber will cut out the damaged section and splice in new pipe, then bring pressure back slowly and look for a second crack, which is common after a freeze. If you suspect water traveled behind walls or under floors, ask for moisture and leak checks before the walls are closed up. A house with repeated breaks in old galvanized or patched lines may be better served by a full repipe.

How do you keep it from happening again?

Winter breaks almost always trace back to a line in a cold wall, crawl space or garage, or a hose left on a spigot. Our guide on preventing frozen pipes in Colorado covers insulation, faucet drips and thermostat settings. Summer breaks come from aging supply hoses on washers, toilets and faucets, so replace rubber hoses with braided ones and know where every fixture stop is. If you are not sure the break needs a midnight call, read how to tell if a plumbing problem can wait.