# Virginia Beach: Who Pays for the Water Service Line? | Who Pays the Repair?

> Public Utilities covers main-to-meter; owners cover meter-to-dwelling. Sources and quotes inside.

**Who pays:** shared

Virginia Beach Public Utilities is responsible for the water service line from the main through the meter; the property owner is responsible from the meter to the dwelling.

**Boundary:** The public side of the water service line, from the main up to and including the meter, is Virginia Beach Public Utilities' responsibility; the private side, from the meter to the dwelling, is the property owner's responsibility.

## Sources
- [Protecting Our Tap Water: No Lead Water Service Lines Found in Virginia Beach So Far](https://virginiabeach.gov/connect/blog/no-lead-water-service-lines-found-in-virginia-beach-so-far) — "The public side of the water service line is from the water main up to and including the water meter and is the responsibility of Virginia Beach Public Utilities. The private side of the water service line is from the water meter to the dwelling/building and is the responsibility of the property owner." (accessed 2026-09-13)
- [§ 56-265.15. Definitions; calculation of time periods](https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title56/chapter10.3/section56-265.15/) — "'Private water lateral' means a privately owned, legally authorized utility line that supplies water from a water system utility line owned by a water system operator to one or more buildings or properties." (accessed 2026-09-13)

_Last verified 2026-09-24. Source: Who Pays the Repair? — https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/virginia-beach-va-water-service-line/ — every claim checked against a primary source before publication (see /methodology/)._