Previously I posted about replacing the shutoff valve for a property. After digging down a bit I found the original 1955 galvanized supply line that looks to be very badly corroded. I had some trouble connecting a copper fitting to it without leaking, but finally was able to get it done.

Here are some pictures so you can see how deep the horizontal galvanized line is and how bad it looks.







May be it looks worse than it is? I am not sure.

Now I am getting ready to have a crew here to do some demolition of the concrete walkway along the perimeter of the structure. Basically, it was put in by the last owner without permits and the city wants it gone. Furthermore. by putting in concrete walkways and pads, it violated the city's minimum 34% landscaped area rule and now it falls on me to restore the necessary landscaped areas.

I would prefer to avoid sawing, jackhammering concrete near this water line seeing how shallow it is and how bad it looks. But there is no alternative.

So my question is...once I start sawing and jackhammering, there is no way someone can be "careful and watch out for the pipe under it". You can say it 100 times it wouldn't matter.

In the event they break this line. either cracked it or crushed it or whatever...is there a way to make a repair or cap? I understand galvanized fittings are all threaded, so it sounds like if I break it I will have to find the other end of the pipe where the fitting is? If it's concrete you can't easily get to the last fitting. If this happens and I am hoping it doesn't, what are my options?

What is that line for sum? I'd replace as much as I could, just on general principle. With the concrete gone it's not that big a deal.

I would replace the entire thing, before I would try to patch sections of it.

Impossible to replace the whole thing at this moment.

The whole line is under a concrete walkway then under a concrete driveway, then the meter. Altogether it is under about 60' of concrete. I am only removing about 8' of the 60'.

I do intend to eventually replace that line but I am nowhere close to that project. Right now I am making sure the demolition does not damage the pipe, but if it does I need to be ready.

Looks like there is no standard repairs methods, besides those band-aid expoxy patch or clamping??? Both of these are not reliable. .

You repair it by either joining to the next threaded joint, or, by using a dresser coupling. In your case with the galvanized pipe looking as bad as it does on the exterior, a dresser coupling may be risky.

I'm not from Florida so I don't know how things are done there but that just looks strange having a main water line fed through a hose bib. Would it be possible to reroute the main around the concrete?

Not sure what you mean by "main water line fed through a hose bib". May be the picture angle is confusing there is a brass tee that is above the shutoff valve that goes into the house. The hose bib is attached to another brass tee above that with the hosebib threaded on the bull. The entire front part of the property is 4" stamped concrete driveway with wire mesh from property line to property line. Only way to run a new line is to cut open the concrete.