Repiping in Idaho Springs, CO

Local conditions in Idaho Springs

Idaho Springs is the largest community in Clear Creek County, strung along I-70 and Clear Creek, with tourist businesses on the east end and mostly residential streets on the west end. The fact sheet does not include a year-built breakdown, but a town this old has many houses that have been patched and added onto over generations, often leaving galvanized steel, copper and plastic joined together in the same crawl space.

The City of Idaho Springs runs its own water system, drawing surface water from Devils Canyon and Chicago Creek and disinfecting with chlorine. The city's water quality report says the city is responsible for removing lead pipes it controls, but it does not include a service line inventory, and the pages reviewed do not say where the city's part of the service line ends. Ask the plumber to confirm with City Hall before any buried line is added to the job.

Permits are handled at City Hall on Miner Street, with SAFEbuilt doing plan review and inspections. Replacing bathroom fixtures needs no permit if the plumbing lines are not replaced, but plumbing plans are required for changes to interior plumbing, including water piping. A repipe falls in that group, so expect the plumber to prepare a plan before work begins.

Repair or repipe

Signs to look for

• Leaks in more than one room
• Rust-tinted water at the first draw
• Corroded fittings or repair clamps under the house
• Pressure that drops when two taps run

Timing notes

Winters in Clear Creek Canyon are long and cold, so summer and early fall are the practical window for planned work, particularly when lines need to move out of cold crawl spaces. SAFEbuilt asks for inspection requests by 3 p.m. the day before, which is worth building into the schedule.