if the pressure regulator of the water co. breaks, is it poss to cause damage to our pipes,sprinkler system?

Question

We have 5 acre prop w/ about 200 avocado trees.Located outside our fence is the water company's pressure regulator; A month or so ago, we started having problems w/ our sprinkler system and 'noticed increased water pressure inside the house. Then, a pvc pipe close to the water co's pressure regulator broke & a plumber replaced a 2" ball valve & repaired the 2" pvc leak ($500). I called the water company & told them of problems we're starting to experience. They checked & replaced their broken pressure regulator. They also claim, their broken pressure regulator has nothing to do with problems we are experiencing. Is this true or not?

Answer 1

If the pressure regulators are the responsibility of the water company in your area I would think that they would be responsible for damage that a faulty regulator would cause such as the damages you describe. Our water company, like many in the U.S. are not responsible for anything past the water meter so that leaves the regulator and the piping to and through the home the responsibility of the home owner. I'm sure the water company has their policy spelled out in a Rules and Regulations Governing Water Service. A paragraph from the Burbank water supply reads
"4.30 (j) Where static water pressure is in excess of eighty (80) pounds per square inch, or other pressure as may be stipulated by the City's adopted version of the Uniform Plumbing Code Section 1007 (b), an approved-type pressure regulator shall be installed by the Customer and the pressure reduced to eighty (80) pounds per square inch or less. BWP recommends that the pressure regulator be set for a pressure of approximately forty-five (45) pounds per square inch." ...Good Luck...

Answer 2

I got the same line from our water utility when the pressure valve broke and blew up our water softener which is the first thing on the line from their pressure regulator. Luckily, it has a lifetime warranty but their plumber told me that it really was the responsibility city because of the pressure regulator which they "admitted" to being at fault when they replaced it.

Answer 3

A faulty pressure regulator can indeed result in downstream damage - broken pipes, blown out valves, ...
If you don't have water seriously leaking somewhere, then it sounds like you caught it soon enough.
You can lean on the water company or file it on insurance. You'll have to decide that one. That failing, at least deduct it on your taxes as an uninsured loss.

Answer 4

the city puts out around 120 lbs of water pressure, yes its there fault,