Commercial Plumbing in Accokeek, MD

Local conditions in Accokeek

Accokeek was a tobacco-farming area on the Potomac and is now mostly suburban, with a still-rural edge and the Moyaone Reserve's mid-century homes on wooded lots of five acres or more. Commercial property here is modest: shops and services along Indian Head Highway, churches, schools, farms and nonprofit sites such as the National Colonial Farm in Piscataway Park and Hard Bargain Farm. The median home was built in 1997, so most buildings are not old, but how a property gets water and handles wastewater differs from one parcel to the next.

Where WSSC Water serves the address, its usual rules apply: water and sewer emergencies go to 301-206-4002, and testable backflow assemblies such as irrigation devices must be tested every year and after installation or repair by a plumber with a WSSC license who is a certified cross-connection technician (county cross-connection line 301-206-8601). WSSC issues permits for and inspects plumbing and all natural gas and LP gas installations in the county, so a propane water heater or appliance also needs a WSSC permit and a qualified gasfitter (Permit Services 301-206-4003). Prince George's County DPIE handles building permits and also has sections for wells and potable water and for onsite sewage disposal systems. Gas mains may not reach every property, so propane or all-electric equipment is common on rural parcels.

Public utilities vs. private systems

Signs to act on

• Pressure that surges and drops, which can point to a pump or tank problem on a private system
• Drains that slow across the whole building at once
• A gas or propane odor near appliances or the tank
• Water heaters struggling during events or busy days
• Wet ground over a buried line

Timing and seasonal notes

Outbuildings, barns and pump houses on rural parcels are the first places to freeze in a cold snap, so insulate exposed lines and keep a little heat on. If anyone smells gas or propane, leave first, then call 911 and your gas utility or propane supplier from outside. Spring is the time to test irrigation backflow devices before the season starts.