What area of NC are you located? You will definitely be able to get solid advice on this forum for improving your lawn.

piedmont area, around lake NormanNon the west end of the lake.

Here is a pic of the lawn

Here is a link that might be useful: Lawn

First immediate thought, get a soil test. Seems like a lot of your problems occured after that valve break, perhaps the soil in the areas of terrible color has a major imbalance. Since it is too late to do any seeding in NC now, your best course of action is improving the soil.

Yes, get a soil test and do a test for grubs (search for the procedure). If you want to seed with common Bermuda, you still have time (June), once the soil is corrected.

Are you in either Catawba County or Lincoln County? One thing you might consider is contacting your local County Extension Office and have a County agent come out and take a look. They can also collect soil samples for you while they are there. By seeing the area in person, a county agent may be able to guide you through a process that will find answers to your issue. I suspect that you are needing more than just a simple soil test.

went to have a soil test done, & the place my neighbors told me about closed down. I contacted the county & still have not gotten a response from them, so after having a friend of a friend that used to work for chem-lawn, look at it, the man suggested a fungicide.
that seemed to green everything right up, but.....
now I am growing these little clover looking things. they have three teardrop shaped leaves & seem to be taking over the previously yellowed area.
lawn looks good from 50 ft away, but the clover things are crazy.
when should I weed, seed, feed? I know allot of people seed & fertilize in the fall around here.
open to suggestions.

Can anyone suggest a soil test kit I can use myself?
I have even seen electronic ones for less than $20

looking on the net, it may be Japanese Clover

Soil tests you do yourself are a waste of money. Send your soil sample to Logan Labs in Ohio. For twenty dollars they will do a comprehensive soil test that will tell you all you need to know.

Seeding in NC is done in the fall for cool season grasses when day temps are in the seventies and night temps are in the fifties. No fertilizing or herbicides in the heat of summer. Most herbicides have a maximum application temperature on the label. I would stay away from weed and feed products, they are a waste of money.

thanks tiemco,
but what about the Japanese clover?
it seems to be quite thick in the areas that used to be yellow.

Weeds have millions of years of evolution on their side to grow in areas that are not ideal. Clovers have the ability to fix nitrogen from the air, so nitrogen deficient soils aren't a problem for them. Weeds are often opportunistic, and the loss of your grass opened the door for the clover to take over. If you use herbicides on the clover when it's above the recommended temperature range, you will probably experience some loss or damage to your grass. I would try Weed B Gone Clover, Chickweed, and Oxalis Killer when temperatures allow it.