Commercial Plumbing in Bowie, MD

Signs a Bowie business should act on

• A floor drain or mop sink that gurgles when the dish machine dumps
• Restroom flush valves that run on or need a second push
• Rusty or stained water after work on a nearby main
• Hot water running short by mid-afternoon in a salon, gym or kitchen
• Sewer odor in a back hallway or near a cleanout
• A backflow test letter nobody has scheduled yet

How Bowie's two systems affect commercial work

The city system was built by the Levitt Corporation in the early 1960s and serves about 7,900 customers, drawing groundwater from five wells in the Magothy, Patapsco and Patuxent aquifers and treating it for naturally occurring iron and manganese. Its service area includes Belair-era sections such as Tulip Grove, Somerset, Kenilworth and Yorktown, plus the Hilltop and Market Place shopping centers. Everything else, including much of the newer growth toward Bowie Town Center and US 301, is WSSC Water. Your bill tells you which one applies.

Inside the city sewer area, the city maintains only the mains; blockages or breaks in the connection from a building to the main are the owner's to fix. For city water questions call the water plant at 301-809-3060, or the Police Communications Center at 240-544-5700 after hours. WSSC customers report water and sewer emergencies to 301-206-4002.

Backflow rules differ too. In WSSC areas, testable assemblies on irrigation, fire sprinkler lines and chemically treated boilers must be tested every year by a plumber holding a WSSC license who is also a certified cross-connection technician. For buildings on city water, ask the water plant what it expects. Prince George's County sends all plumbing permits to WSSC, and water heater replacements need one. Gas is Washington Gas; if anyone smells it, clear the building, then call 911 and 844-WASHGAS (927-4427), option 1, from outside.

What affects the price

• How many restrooms, units or fixtures are involved
• Camera inspection or leak tracing before the repair
• Night or weekend scheduling to keep the business open
• Getting through drop ceilings, slab floors or paved lots
• WSSC permits and inspections on regulated work
• Backflow parts and the retest that follows a repair

What happens when you call

Say what kind of property it is, what failed and whether it is still open for business. You'll be connected with an independent local plumber who handles commercial jobs in Bowie, from restaurants on MD 197 to offices and medical suites along MD 450. Ask how the first visit is priced and whether the plumber can work around your hours.