Pulic water main failure

Cast iron more likely, they rust eventually and are brittle. Any heavy vehicles been down the lane recently or it may simply have succumbed to heave due to frost.

as have miles and miles of iron gas pipes, just about everywhere I've been over the last couple of months.

Quite possibly. Be prepared to see more leaks as the pipe ages further. Water boards use a variety of repair sleeves, some require the pipe to be cut and the sleeve threaded on, soe are "split" and can be applied around an existing pipe. Commonly a piece of new pipe is put into the run with joints either end. Materials used for water mains have altered over the years but lead, cast iron, asbestos cement, spun concrete, galvanised steel, thick wall copper, and polyethylene are all commonly found.

oh christ not asbestos again..........

And wood of course!

Bob

It is possible that the pipe was repaired a few yards further on.

Some other pipes in the neighbourhood were replaced with plastic ones.

Of course it makes be wonder about the state of the water supply pipe downstream of the meter and which I own. It is steel and 50+ years old. If it's good enough for another 40 years that will likely be more than enough!

Tread gently when you walk over it! It would be a good idea to every now and then turn off everything indoors and go and check your meter over a decent period of say half an hour to make sure you have no small unknown leaks. You not only pay for water coming in but also for assumed sewerage charges often as much again.

You have gas? In pipes? In the ground? Cor, that's posh.