$11,000 Water Bill

[CobyRupert]

Why would anybody want to enter into a contract with a provider (be it a water utility or phone service), even if it a $10/month bill, if by no negligence of your own, or by theft or negligence of others, or by an act of God, you are now responsible for a life changing (and even future generations changing) bill of $11,000, $50,000 or even $200,000?
This seems like a sucker deal.
In the case of a water utility, you don't really have a choice to not enter into this "deal". So is it really a contract?

 

[Streetcar]

In Texas they use a thin wall black poly pipe

 

[EddieWalker]

In Texas they use a thin wall black poly pipe

Yeah, we haven't figured out that there are other types or thickness of poly pipe here. Or maybe Texas and just about every other state in the country has figured out that pipe with gaskets in it slides in and out when the soil moves, which means fewer leaks?

What do they use in Ohio for water mains and new housing developments? How much do you want to be that it's not black poly pipe?

 

[jabelding]

Just for info a 1/2" hole with 80psi behind it will flow 45 GPM simple orifice calculation. Many municipal water systems are over 80 psi at the street so I would say the quantity is correct for the hole you have.

 

[Streetcar]

I had a house with poly supply
Currently I work and live in the city of Cincinnati with ductile iron main and copper supply lines

 

[Streetcar]

I forgot about concrete distribution mains

 

[ning]

Justin - It sounds like you go the builder's attention. If you work with the water department and hopefully get the bill reduced and also "help" the builder to get his costs reduced if he works quickly. Find the honey - it almost always works better than threats - of course sweetly include the assumption that is his bill and you are just trying to help.

Given that the fault of leaks lies with the builder, I'd be reticent to use a "once-in-a-lifetime" bill reduction to his advantage - he should use have to call in one of his favors to deal with the money. OP should make sure he comes out with that bill reduction still available in the future.

 

[cat fever]

First off; Thanks to you and your wife for your service.:thumbsup:


I read most of the thread; I would not rule out a lighting strike as 2 other posters have said. However that doesn't help you out at all.
I second using poly pipe. I personally have the blue pipe with compression fittings.
It's hard to believe that more people don't use "Christies Red Hot Blue Glue" for PVC. It's the best.:2cents:

 

[daugen]

living in coastal NC also this experience gives me the willies. I can't imagine my 29 dollar water bill going to 5 or 10 thousand and be held responsible.
Motivates me to ask the city water dept what their policy is. I have pipe runs well over a 1000 feet from the road.

as far as homeowner insurance, unlikely. "sudden and accidental" leakage is covered, at least damage it causes, but not "continuous and repeated leakage" which pretty much defines this situation. Often there are exclusions for economic loss not caused by physically damaging something. Now a homeowners warranty, much more likely, depends upon the fine print. Either way, I'm hoping for a happy ending here with the builder replacing the pipe more professionally this time and squaring the water bill. The builders reputation is worth a lot more than this pipe, particularly if he knows he cut corners and that could be proved in court.

 

[TedReese]

Let's be clear that "poly" refers to a lot of different things.

Poly Butylene is a product with wide spread use many decades ago. It has a problem of becoming brittle and flaking from the inside out due to exposure to chlorine in municipal water supplies. The high failure rate of poly butylene has given all poly a bad name.

Polyethylene and better yet, High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) is a much different product. It does not react to chlorine and other chemicals that can be present in water supplies. It is flexible and exceptionally durable.

I would absolutely recommend using the appropriate pressure class HDPE for long water supply runs. If it were mine I would use 500' rolls. At every joint along the long run I would install a brass 1/4 turn ball valve with integrated barbed fittings. I would clamp the line to the fittings with stepless (continuous band) Oetiker clamps (two per barb with the crips offsets from each other.

For reference, the City I am in does not use gasketed PVC pipe for it's water supply system. They use gasketed ductile iron mains and copper or HDPE service lines.