Originally Posted by
RogerDat
I do agree that some municipalities will simply cut it off and lay a new line. That is by far the least expensive way to go from a labor standpoint. A crew and the boring/excavating equipment costs a lot per hour.
Most of the lines getting replaced are the lines going directly to the house. Main lines have in many cases been replaced years ago. As was pointed out lead has been recognized as a poor choice for water lines compared to modern options. Lead was the plastic of its day but has not been the preferred choice for decades.
Kudos on the 1750 pound score by going directly to the crew! The highest form of recycling is after all re-use. Now all that member needs is a canon or a whole lot of antimony and tin.