water line break

[Account Closed]

Last week I discovered a water line break outside. Turned out that it was under the sidewalk, a few feet from the water main. The plumber came, dug out under the sidewalk. These city concrete walk pads are about 4x4, and the leak was about in the middle, 18" to about 2' under the bottom of the pad itself.

I had him remove the polybutylene and replace it with copper, from the main to the far side of the walk, about 8 feet.

When he removed the dirt from the area, he removed more than a five gallon bucket of rocks, many about softball size, a few larger, most about baseball size or so. When he backfilled, those rocks were left out. He did NOT shovel dirt UNDER the walk, just in the holes beside it.

There is still dirt supporting both ends of the pad where it meets the neighboring pads, but I'm concerned that that supporting dirt will cave in and the sidewalk, level now, will tip or --I don't know the term--subside?-so that one pad is lower than the others, and I will be responsible for raising it.

Is that likely? Should I call the plumber to have someone sent to re-dig, and shovel that dirt UNDER the walk? Am I being paranoid? What would you do?

I thought of digging it out myself and shoveling dirt under the walk, but I did ask the fellow about it, he said it would be okay. I didn't believe him then and don't now.

Should I call the plumber and have them come back out?