The water supply to the irrigation system includes a connection between copper and PVC pipes, located a few inches above the ground. The PVC pipe connected to the copper pipe (blue in the picture) runs underground through a straight connector (white in the picture), has a right angle elbow which after another several inches enters an access box. The interface between the copper and PVC pipes is leaking.
The copper pipe does not line up completely vertical with the PVC pipe coming out of the ground, and I suspect this tension lead to the leak 
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Are there concerns with cutting the pipe just below the current straight connector, and adding a new straight connector after attaching new PVC pipe to the copper pipe that is slightly longer than the existing pipe to push the copper pipe upwards to straighten the copper pipe? Or would replacing a longer section of PVC pipe (past the elbow) be more likely to prevent this from happening again?
Best Answer
I think what you will have to do is cut out the damaged top of the grey pipe and extend it up several inches to try and make the copper pipe section straighter.
The copper pipe and heavy pressure regulator/backflow device (not exactly sure) being unsupported is just asking for trouble. After repairing the pipe, I would drive a metal post next to the vertical section and tie the vertical pipe to it so it won't bend if someone is working around those bushes and leans on it. You might also consider driving in another post to help steady that valve section depending on how its supported on the side we can't see.