The problem
Part of this Austin home's buried water main was still Kitec — the orange-and-blue plastic system installed in a lot of Central Texas homes from the mid-1990s to the mid-2000s, then recalled after its brass fittings started failing early. Kitec doesn't fail on a schedule. It holds until it doesn't, and the first sign is usually water surfacing where it shouldn't.
What we found
A previous repair had already replaced part of the line with new PEX, but the job stopped at a transition — new PEX on one side, Kitec still in the ground on the other, with Kitec fittings left at both ends of the main. The before photo tells the story: blue and grey Kitec runs with white, chalky crust growing on the brass fittings. That crust is the known failure at work — the fitting metal breaking down until it leaks or lets go.
What we did
We replaced a Kitec water main with new PEX — the full buried run from the pressure reducer at the street side to the house, and removed the Kitec at both ends so no recalled material is left in the line. In the trench photo you can see the new white PEX in place and the yellow tracer wire laid with it, so the buried line can be located in the future without exploratory digging. Then we tested the line and restored the yard.
The result
The recalled pipe is out of the ground, the main is new PEX end to end, and the line is findable for whoever needs it next — no guesswork and no digging to locate it. What this homeowner has now is a main they don't have to think about, instead of a recalled system on an unknown clock.
Quick self-check: if your Austin home was built in the mid-1990s to mid-2000s and you can see orange-and-blue pipe with white crust on the brass fittings, it's worth a look before it lets go.
Kitec water main replacement — Austin. Call for your free estimate visit. (512) 233-6590