Who owns which pipe, you or the utility?

WSSC Water service line responsibility runs from the main to the property line, including an outside meter or curb stop; from the property line into the home and all pipes inside are yours.

By the Your Water Numbers desk, not WSSC Water · Updated November 2, 2026 · How we check

Reading this: Stand at your property line and face the street: everything ahead is the utility’s. Everything behind you, including the buried stretch under the lawn, is yours.

Where does the utility’s pipe stop?

At the property line. Its side covers the main and the connection up to that line, including an outside meter or curb stop, per the customer FAQs and the main replacement brochure.

So a wet patch in the road or a leak at the curb stop is a report, not a repair job for you. Use the emergency number shown on your bill or on the utility’s site.

Which parts are yours?

Two: the buried line from the property line into the home, and every pipe inside. That split also applies to the lead inventory, where a replacement has an owner’s side and a utility’s side.

Work on the buried line needs someone licensed. For anything else, ask WSSC Water’s plumbing inspections. Never dig up, cut or replace a service line yourself. Hiring a licensed plumber lists who may do which job.

Which valve may you turn?

Only the main shutoff inside your property. It shuts water off to the house. If your meter is inside, check near it for the valve.

The street-side valve belongs to the utility. Do not touch it, even with water pouring in. Close the house valve, then call the right person from the table.

Who pays when the leak is on your side?

You do, in two ways. You pay the plumber for the repair, and owners pay for water that registers on the meter, including leaks.

On a 145 gal/day house, a 100 gal/day leak adds $210.11 to a 90-day bill, our arithmetic. See what a leak costs for other sizes.

Some relief exists on the bill itself. A one-time adjustment for unexplained high bills has strict limits, set out on why the bill jumped.

Who looks after the meter?

It depends where it sits. Frost in an outside meter is a matter for the utility. If the meter is inside, protecting it from damage and freezing falls to you. Frozen pipes and meters covers that case.

What if you can’t afford the repair?

There is help, tied to one program. The Customer Assistance Program includes a free annual plumbing leak investigation. Its Leak Repair arm, with Habitat for Humanity Metro Maryland, covers up to $9,000 a year for homeowners who live in the home and are enrolled. It does not cover sewer or drains.

Questions on this page

Where each number comes from