In Lafayette the city owns the water service line from the main to the meter pit, and the property owner owns everything from the meter pit to the home. A leak on your side is a private repair for a plumber. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Lafayette.
Lafayette in short
Lafayette runs its own water utility, drawing surface water from Baseline, Waneka and Goose Haven reservoirs and serving about 10,000 properties. The meter pit is where the city's responsibility stops and yours starts. The city grew out of a coal-mining and farming past, so homes around Old Town and Public Road are considerably older than the newer neighborhoods on its edges.
What to do now
- Close the main shutoff inside the house if water is running freely.
- Locate the leak. Water in the meter pit or street goes to the city: Public Works at 303-661-1277, or Boulder County Dispatch at 303-441-4444 after hours and on weekends.
- Test with the meter. With every fixture off, any movement means water is leaving the system.
- Check your line's material. The city's service line inventory can tell you what's on record.
- Call a plumber for a leak between the meter pit and the house.
Symptoms and likely causes
| Symptom | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Water standing in the meter pit | City-side issue or a fitting at the pit outlet |
| Wet strip between pit and house | Leak in the private service line |
| Weak pressure at all fixtures | Leak or corrosion in the buried line |
| Rusty first draw from the taps | Possible galvanized pipe in an older home |
| Meter moving with everything off | Leak past the meter |
Cost factors
Lafayette keeps a service line material inventory that covers both the city-owned and customer-owned portions, built from records, resident surveys and potholing, and it notifies owners if a lead or galvanized line needs replacement. Questions go to LCRR@lafayetteco.gov or 303-661-1277. If your line is flagged, that shapes the job: a corroded galvanized line generally gets replaced rather than patched. Beyond material, cost depends on the distance from the meter pit, how deep the pipe sits, what covers the route and how the new line enters the house. Permits run through the City of Lafayette Building Division, whose inspection line is 303-604-3822, and restoring lawn, concrete or landscaping adds to the total. Older lots near Old Town often have mature trees whose roots crowd the pipe, which can mean hand digging around them.
Water Line Repair questions in Lafayette
Where does my responsibility for the water service line begin?
Is there a lead service line program for my water provider?
What should I do first if the line breaks?
Does discolored water mean my service line is failing?
More plumbing services in Lafayette
Water Line Repair nearby
Helpful guides
Sources
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