About half of Colton's homes were built before 1980, and the city's groundwater is hard, a combination that wears on old galvanized and copper supply lines. A repipe replaces them with PEX or copper under a city permit. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Colton.
Repiping in Colton
Colton, the Hub City, grew up around the railroads and the historic Colton Crossing. Census figures reported by Point2Homes put the median year built at 1979, with about 51.5 percent of homes older than 1980 and the single largest share built in the 1980s. That means many houses are running on supply pipe that is 40 years old or more.
The City of Colton runs its own water utility, mostly from local groundwater out of city wells, disinfected with chlorine. Its 2025 report lists total hardness averaging about 207 mg/L for the Colton/Rialto sources, with a range of 150 to 230 mg/L, which favors scale in valves, fittings and water heaters. The city requires a building permit to replace water lines, and the Building & Safety Division can be reached at (909) 370-5079. City crews handle main breaks and leaks on the city's side; the after-hours line is (909) 370-5000.
In an older Colton house, the plumber will usually recommend running new lines through the attic and down interior walls rather than reusing paths under the slab. Galvanized pipe that has narrowed from rust cannot be cleaned back to full flow, so partial fixes on that material tend to buy only a little time.
What to do right now
- Stop the water at the fixture stop or main shutoff.
- Identify the pipe. Gray threaded steel suggests galvanized; reddish metal is copper.
- Note the pattern. List each leak and its location over the past few years.
- Check for scale on aerators, shower heads and valves.
- Clear the way to the attic access and the water heater.
Symptoms and likely causes
| Symptom | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Orange or brown water after sitting | Galvanized pipe rusting inside |
| Flow fading year by year | Rust and scale narrowing old pipe |
| Pinhole leaks in walls | Copper thinning with age |
| Valves that stick or will not close | Mineral buildup from hard water |
| Hot spot on a slab floor | Leaking hot line under the house |
Cost factors
- House size and fixture count
- Attic routing on a slab, or a raised foundation
- PEX or copper
- Patching walls and ceilings
- New main shutoff and fixture stops
- The required city permit
Repiping questions in Colton
How can I tell whether my supply pipes are galvanized steel?
Does hard water shorten the life of supply pipes?
Does a repipe need a permit here?
How much drywall gets opened during a repipe?
More plumbing services in Colton
Repiping nearby
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