Worker in a Blackstone Utilities vest guiding blue pipe into a trench cut through a front lawn beside a walkway, with a tracked trencher, red marker flags and a second worker behind, at sunset.

Services

Underground Water Installation & Repair

Underground water installation and repair covers the buried pipes that carry drinking water, wastewater and stormwater. Across the Midwest and Southeast, Blackstone Utilities installs and repairs water mains and service lines, sanitary sewer mains and laterals, and storm sewers, by open-cut trenching or directional drilling, for homeowners, developers and municipalities.

Service areas

What are water, sewer and storm lines?

Water, sanitary sewer and storm sewer are three separate systems, built to separate drawings and specifications. A water main carries treated drinking water under pressure; a sanitary sewer carries wastewater from buildings; a storm sewer carries rainwater and runoff away from streets and property.

We install new lines and repair failed ones, from a single water service or sewer lateral under a front yard to a main under a street.

Green PVC sewer pipe laid on crushed-stone bedding in a trench, with a pipe grade laser set inside its open end.

Underground Water Installation & Repair

Sewer Line Installation & Repair

A gravity sewer only works at the right slope. We excavate to the design depth, set the pipe on prepared bedding to line and grade, join the sections and connect to the existing main or manhole. New lines are tested as the sewer owner requires.

Repairs start with finding the failure, often from a sewer camera inspection. We expose the damaged length, repair or replace it, reconnect the line and restore the surface. The method depends on the pipe, its depth and what is around it.

Sanitary sewer mains and laterals
Connections to existing mains and manholes
Repair or replacement of broken and collapsed sections

New storm inlet with a cast-iron grate in a freshly poured concrete curb on a subdivision street, wet after rain.

Underground Water Installation & Repair

Storm Sewer Installation

A storm sewer is a network of pipe runs and the structures that connect them: inlets, catch basins and manholes. We excavate along the planned route, set each structure and length of pipe at its design elevation, and backfill the trench.

We build new storm lines for subdivisions, streets and parking lots, and replace damaged pipe and structures where an existing system no longer drains.

Storm pipe set at design elevations
Inlets, catch basins and manholes
Connections to the existing storm system

New red fire hydrant connected to a blue water main through a red gate valve, with a black valve box, in an open trench on gravel bedding beside a sidewalk.

Underground Water Installation & Repair

Water Installation & Repair

We install new water mains by open-cut trenching or directional drilling, lay and join the pipe, set valves, fittings and service connections, and backfill to the project specifications. New mains are pressure tested and disinfected before they go into service, as the water utility requires.

A repair starts with exposing the damaged section, often with hydro excavation when other utilities are close. We clamp, sleeve or replace it, depending on the pipe material, its size and the damage. For a homeowner, the same work covers a failed water service line between the curb stop and the house.

Water mains, valves and fittings
Water service lines and curb stops
Main break and service line repair

Muddy entry pit in a front lawn where a drill rod and reamer enter the ground, with a yellow directional drill and houses behind.

Underground Water Installation & Repair

Directional Drilling

Directional drilling, or HDD, installs water mains, water service lines and pressure sewer pipe under roads, driveways and waterways without an open trench. Fused polyethylene or restrained-joint pipe is pulled back through the reamed bore in one continuous length, so the joints are made before the pipe goes in the ground.

Gravity sewers are a different case: they need a steady, exact slope, so most are still built by open-cut trenching. We drill a gravity line only where the grade can be held, and recommend trenching when it is the better method.

Water mains and service lines under roads and drives
Pressure sewer and force main crossings
Waterway and landscaping crossings with pits only at each end

Planning water and sewer work

What to send for a quote

Where the work is: the address or nearest intersection.
Which system: water, sanitary sewer or storm sewer, and whether it is new work or a repair.
The pipe size and material, if you know them.
Drawings, specifications or camera inspection reports, if you have them.

At a glance

Service type: Underground water installation and repair
Work: Water, sanitary sewer and storm 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 request 811 locates and mark existing utilities along the route before digging.
02
Excavate

We open the trench to depth, or set the drilling pits, and shore where the soil requires.
03
Install

We set and join pipe, valves and structures, or repair the damaged section.
04
Restore

We backfill, compact and restore the street, walk or lawn to the project specifications.

Questions about underground water installation & repair

What is the difference between a sewer main and a sewer lateral?

A sewer main is the larger line, usually under the street, that collects flow from many buildings. A sewer lateral is the smaller pipe that connects one building to the main. We install and repair both, from a single lateral under a front yard to a main under a street.

How is a storm sewer different from a sanitary sewer?

A storm sewer carries rainwater and runoff away from streets and property. A sanitary sewer carries wastewater from buildings. They are separate systems, built to separate drawings and specifications; a storm sewer is a network of pipe runs connected by inlets, catch basins and manholes.

What does a water main repair involve?

A repair exposes the damaged section of pipe, often with hydro excavation when other utilities are close, then clamps, sleeves or replaces it, reconnects the main and restores the surface. The method depends on the pipe material, its size, the damage and the location.

Can a water line be installed without a trench?

Often, yes. Directional drilling pulls water main or service pipe under roads, driveways and lawns as one continuous length of fused polyethylene or restrained-joint pipe, with pits only at each end. Gravity sewers usually still need a trench to hold their slope.

Do you work on water and sewer lines for homeowners?

Yes. We install and repair water service lines and sewer laterals for homeowners, as well as mains for developers and municipalities. For a homeowner, that covers a failed water service line between the curb stop and the house, or a sewer lateral under the front yard.

What information do you need for a quote?

The location of the work, whether it is water, sewer or storm work, a short description of the job and how to reach you. Mention any plans or dimensions in the description, and say whether the work is new or a repair. We follow up by phone or email.

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