If the repair is yours to pay
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- Your building
- Your part: building to the meter
- Meter
- The city or utility's part: meter to the main
- Water main
Drawn from the rule quoted on this page. Exceptions above still apply.
Default rule and exceptions
Split at the meter. SAWS owns the water lateral from the main to the meter; the customer owns the service line from the meter to the building.
| Party | What they are responsible for |
|---|---|
| Property owner | SAWS: the service line includes "the customer-owned service line from the water meter to the building." |
| City / public agency | SAWS owns the water lateral from the water main to the water meter. |
| Exceptions | None on record |
What the source says
Last verified against the primary source on Sep 10, 2026.
This includes both the SAWS-owned water lateral from the water main to the water meter as well as the customer-owned service line from the water meter to the building.
City rules rest on state law. Read Texas's sidewalk statute, quoted verbatim, or see all 50 states in one table.
Common questions
Who pays for water service line in San Antonio, TX?
Responsibility is shared. SAWS: the service line includes "the customer-owned service line from the water meter to the building."
What is this based on for San Antonio, TX?
This verdict is sourced to Service line inventory and 2 sources in total, each independently re-checked before publication.
Sources
- Service line inventoryofficial · verified-official · accessed 2026-09-10
- San Antonio Water Systemofficial · verified-official · accessed 2026-09-10
Spot an error? Challenge this record
Found an out-of-date code section, a wrong verdict, or a better primary source? Tell us. Corrections that check out are applied, with the change shown in history. That is our standing policy.