$11,000 Water Bill

[justinramani]

I really need some assistance. My wife recently received two bills from the water company totaling $11,000!!!! We immediately called.our builder and he sent out a guy to figure out what's going on. He found the leak and replaced the pipe, but the hole in the pipe makes no sense to me. It almost looks melted. Has anyone ever seen something like this before? Builder is saying it's a freak accident and that the pipe must have rubbed against a rock. I'm not buying it - first off we have sand for soil, next, the hole isn't at all jagged.

I'm currently deployed to Iraq and this is just causing tremendous stress on my wife and I. The water company is saying that around 2 million gallons leaked in a month (around 50 gpm). Can anyone help me make sense of this????

Thanks in advance,

JustinTapatalk Cloud - Downlaoad File Screenshot_217-5-13-2-53-17.png
Tapatalk Cloud - Downlaoad File Screenshot_217-5-13-2-53-28.png

 

[justinramani]

 

[justinramani]

Here is the pipe while it was still in the ground

 

[Cataclysm]

First off sorry to hear about the bill/leak! The water company shouldn't make you pay that!!

Second, is the edges of the hole smooth vs sharp like broken glass? If its real smooth and tapered into the hole then most likely it was caused by something rubbing on the pipe. Water pipes vibrate when being used. Any thing hard and abrasive will wear/sand right through. We dug out and replaced a metal pipe a couple of days ago that looked similar to yours. We took a small rock off the pipe that fit the hole perfectly.


Maybe time to look through the bylaws of the water company and see if there is a remedy for the excessive bill. I'd hang onto that piece of pipe and the repair bill.

 

[EarPlug]

How can someone NOT notice 3 Olympic size pools (660,430 gallons of water per pool) of water leaking in less than a month? Where did it all go? How old is the pipe? If this is a new house I would say it is on the builder.

 

[Cataclysm]

He's in sandy soil. Its possible all that water simply leached away. I don't know NC geology. In rocky CO you'd notice 10 gallons. Around here it can go either way. Some of the sandstone boundary layers here can drain ponds, some of the clay or limestone areas 10 gallons would be easy to spot.

 

[Cataclysm]

View attachment 509294

Here is the pipe while it was still in the ground

How deep is that pipe?

 

[dragoneggs]

Looks like the plastic pipe melted. That is not a fracture or crack for sure. Seems to me somebody did not install properly.

I just had my water company (community well on meters) call me about abnormal water usage for the month. They monitor comparing last year's volume. Turned out I had a break in the PVC main line. 30 year old install. Water company gave me one time relief (once every 10 years) for paying the surcharge for the water. I would talk to you water company and builder. Maybe have an independent guy come out to inspect and determine cause. The builder won't be your friend most likely.

 

[TemporaryKubotaOwnerMark]

Wow. Homeowners insurance?

 

[justinramani]

Well - its pure sand. Water leaches away pretty quickly. The pipe is about 2 feet deep or so. We have had multiple repairs on the line in the last year. We still have a few weeks left on the warranty. I have told the builder that I want the line replaced. He has not yet responded. I just can't imagine that that hole in the pipe was naturally created. The water dept is working with us a little, but the bill will still be in the thousands.....

 

[Rustyiron]

A few points to your (possible) up coming arguments.
What's the frequency of water meter reading/billing? Could the water Co. have alerted you any earlier?
Are you still in the builders warranty period? (assuming you bought it new from the builder)
Research the water Co. policy for a "no fault" leakage, you can't be the first one to have this happen to.
Is this PVC pipe normally used in your area for water service? I haven't seen rigid PVC used ever.

Wish I could be more help, especially while your half a world away serving - the rest of us :thumbsup:
That is a very strange hole for sure! Worn through 2 layers.

 

[justinramani]

I feel **** near helpless being in Iraq and unable to face the builder or water dept. In person. I really feel bad for my wife too. It's just been a horrible week for us. Trying to stay positive, but I'm terrified of another leak.

 

[TheMan419]

If you are on active duty can SCRA help you out at all? Check w JAG to see if they can give you any advice.

 

[RobertBrown]

What is the static pressure?
Is it possible something chewed through the pipe before it was pressurized?
Typically a line like that would require a permit and subsequent inspection. The pipe is usually pressure tested and this is documented. Was the line hydrostatically tested?

 

[justinramani]

Nope - through some research this week it looks like the builder dropped in the line before the inspector ever came out. Also pretty sure that it wasn't installed by a licensed plumber. The same guy that did the grading/road install ditched the line and put in the pipe....

 

[BrokeFarmerJohn]

First off thanks for your service!

http://www.ncdoi.com/OSFM/Engineeri...ments/PlumbingCode-2012NCAmendments100517.pdf

Looks like frost line in NC is 12 inches, around here it's 3ft.

I would look to see where the meter is located, where your responsibility starts ext. mine stops after it leaves my house, the water I'm hooked to covers from the main line to the house.

I would also see who is responsible for the site, do you own the property? Does the builders tech own the house until it's finished?

I would say the builders are at fault, if there actively on site building the house and you have a contract of sorts that you are not to move in or take over the house until after the house is finished I would think the bill would fall on the persons responsible. Also how far along is the house? Should the water have been turned on yet at this stage of the build? I would think the water would only NEED to be turned on closer to Finnish if you or your wife are not in the house, so turning the water on early would fall on the fault of the builder or utility company?

Doesn't a new water line need to be pressure tested and inspected? There should be some kind of paper trail of a inspection on that water line, someone I think would have to have signed off on a pressure test or something.

I know nothing about building a house but that's what I would think, to say it's your fault when the house isn't finished is just silly.

 

[justinramani]

Thank you. The house was finished about 11 months ago.

 

[Snobdds]

That failure is right on the joint, that's two layers of plastic. The wrong glue was used I bet. I would stick to your guns about new pipe. Sorry you have to deal with it, while overseas for us.

 

[RobertBrown]

So the line is connected to the municipal water system......and it wasn't inspected. How about a back flow preventer? Is there any cross connection control?

 

[justinramani]

So the line is connected to the municipal water system......and it wasn't inspected. How about a back flow preventer? Is there any cross connection control?

I am not sure if it has a backflow preventer. I know that the builder had to put on a pressure reducing valve right after the meter to control the pressure. I'm not sure what cross connection control is.