First: If current flowing on copper water pipes caused them to erode and leak, then all the wire in an old house would be "worn out" and have to be replaced as it gets current flowing on it all the time.
Second: Unless the insulation on the cable, telephone, power wiring is damaged, it should not matter that they are nearby. There may be accessibility reasons to separate them, but that does not seem a likely cause. And having come from a place with HARD RED CLAY and ROCKS I can understand why one ditch instead of two is attractive.
Third: Those same rocks may cause physical damage to the pipe during back-fill. Or the soil conditions may be strongly acid, or basic, which is also corrosive. The water in many areas has corrosive properties. If the drips in the sink cause green stains, it is from copper dissolved by the water and left as deposits. That means the copper is eroded from inside the pipe.
Fourth: Two plumbers have mentioned the possibility of "bad pipe," so that is a real possibility. The good news is that there is a faint possibility that either the plumber could be responsible for using a defective, unlisted, or second rate product and concealing the fact. Or the manufacturer may be on the hook if the pipe can be proven defective. That would likely come after you and the neighbors had repaired the water service line, and depend on the overall cost of the replacement.
Lynn Adams Lynn Adams
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