Two workers in Blackstone Utilities vests at a muddy excavation on a wet residential street at night, one holding a vacuum hose, with a yellow vacuum truck and a branded pickup with flashing lights.

Services

Emergency Utility Repair

Emergency utility repair fixes a buried line that has failed and cannot wait: a water main break, a collapsed sewer or a damaged service line. Across the Midwest and Southeast, Blackstone Utilities locates the failure, exposes it, repairs or replaces the damaged section and restores the surface. Call us during office hours (Mon-Fri 7:00 AM-7:00 PM CT).

Service areas

What happens when a buried line fails?

A failed line under a yard, a drive or a street has to be found before it can be fixed. We find it, dig to it with care for the lines around it, repair it and leave the surface as it was.

Scope of work

What a repair involves

We find the failed section and expose it, often with hydro excavation when other lines are close, then repair or replace it. The line is reconnected, the excavation is backfilled and the surface is restored.

First steps when a line fails

If water is escaping, close the shutoff valve on your side if you can reach it safely, and report a break in a public main to the water utility. For a repair on your side of the line, call us at +1 (224) 202 4000 during office hours (Mon-Fri 7:00 AM-7:00 PM CT) or send the quote form.

What to tell us when you call

Where the problem is: the address or nearest intersection.
What is affected: a water main, a sewer line or something else.
What you can see: water at the surface, a sinkhole, a blocked line.
How to reach you by phone.

At a glance

Service type: Emergency utility repair
Work: Repair of failed water and sewer lines
Service area: The Midwest and Southeast
How to start: Call us or request a quote

How we do the work

01
Locate

We find the failed section and mark existing utilities around it.
02
Excavate

We expose the failed section and shore the excavation where needed.
03
Install

We repair or replace the damaged section and reconnect the line.
04
Restore

We backfill, compact and restore the surface to the project specifications.

Questions about emergency utility repair

What counts as an emergency utility repair?

A failed buried water, sewer or similar line that needs prompt repair, such as a water main break, a collapsed sewer lateral or a damaged service line. Blackstone Utilities locates the failure, exposes it, repairs or replaces the damaged section and restores the surface.

What should I do first when a water line breaks?

Close the shutoff valve on your side if you can reach it safely, and report a break in a public main to the water utility. For a repair on your side of the line, call us during office hours or send the quote form.

How do I reach you about a repair?

Call +1 (224) 202 4000 during office hours (Mon-Fri 7:00 AM-7:00 PM CT) or send the quote form. If a public main has broken, report it to the water utility first. Tell us where the problem is, what is affected and what you can see, such as water at the surface or a sinkhole.

Do you restore the surface after a repair?

Yes. Every repair ends with the line reconnected, the excavation backfilled and the street, walk or lawn restored. We find the failed section, dig to it with care for the lines around it, repair it and leave the surface as it was.

We work across the Midwest and Southeast. See the service areas for the states and cities we serve.