Before you sign a repair contract, it helps to know what PWD will and won't do, how to check for a leak, and how the City's zero-interest HELP loan works.
Where your pipe starts
PWD's customer guide says your service line runs from the City's main in the street, through the curb stop (a shutoff valve usually under a small cover near the curb), to your water meter. It has two parts: the service side, from the main to the curb stop, and the supply side, from the curb stop to the meter, usually in your house.
PWD's leak page puts it plainly: PWD is responsible for leaks from the water main, and customers are responsible for leaks from the connection to the main and throughout the property, plus any expense the leak causes. When a plumber says the leak is "in the street," ask which section failed and how they know.
Check before assuming it's the service line
A high bill alone doesn't prove the underground line has failed. PWD lists running toilets, dripping faucets, shower heads and outdoor spigots as common causes. Two quick checks from its leak page:
Meter test. Make sure nobody is using water, then find the meter, usually in the basement on the wall closest to the street. If the small leak-detection dial is turning, water is flowing somewhere past the meter.
Toilet dye test. Put about a dozen drops of dark food coloring in the tank and wait about 10 minutes. Color in the bowl means the flapper is leaking.
Know the limit of the meter test: it only sees water that passes through the meter. A leak between the main and the meter won't move the dial, so a still dial doesn't clear the service line.
For water in the basement, a suspected main break or street flooding, call PWD's emergency line at (215) 685-6300, which is staffed 24/7, according to its water emergencies page. An inspector checks whether the problem is the City's main or a customer pipe. Don't dig near the curb or try to work the curb stop yourself.
Hiring the repair and permits
The City's plumbing permit page says a licensed master plumber must oversee plumbing work. You can check a plumber's license through L&I's contractor lookup, which notes that plumbers need a Philadelphia trade license.
Service line work also needs PWD permits. Its water and sewer permits page says a Water Connection Permit is required to install or repair a water service, and for work in a City street the plumber must also get lane closure permits and check street opening and backfill with the Streets Department's Highway District. Our guide to which plumbing jobs need an L&I permit covers the rest of the permit picture.
Get a written quote that says who pulls each permit and covers digging, pipe material, inspections, and restoring the sidewalk and street, plus what's excluded and how extra work gets approved.
HELP: a zero-interest loan, not a grant
The City's Homeowner's Emergency Loan Program (HELP) lends money for service line and sewer line repairs at zero interest. For a leaking line, you generally qualify after PWD issues a Notice of Defect requiring repairs. A confirmed lead service line can be replaced without one.
You also have to meet these conditions:
You own the property. It can be tenant-occupied.
It's residential, or mostly residential if mixed-use, with no more than four units, and has a working meter.
Any payment agreements are current, and you're no more than two billing cycles behind on water bills for this or any other property you own.
You agree to a lien on the property for the total cost of the work.
You apply with a pre-application online, on paper, or by calling (215) 685-4901. PWD says it will contact you within two business days to schedule an inspection, then gives you a cost estimate and the loan agreement to review. Repayment shows up on your water bill over 60 months, and the loan stays interest-free unless you pay late. Apply before you sign with a private plumber, and ask HELP staff whether outside work can be covered and what happens to the lien if you sell before it's paid off.
When replacement may be free
PWD's service line replacement page lists two free options, and both apply only to lead or galvanized metal lines. If your street has a planned water main replacement and your line is confirmed lead or galvanized, PWD replaces it for free and will contact you by mail. A federally funded pilot started in August 2026 in North Philadelphia ZIP codes 19133, 19134 and 19140, and is set to reach West Philadelphia (19104, 19131, 19139, 19142, 19143, 19151 and 19153) in late 2026. Owners elsewhere can sign up to show interest.
Neither one fixes an active leak on a copper or plastic line, and possible future replacement isn't a plan for a leak happening now. For other City help with repair costs, see our guide to Philadelphia home repair assistance programs. Our plumbing page covers common plumbing repairs.