Hydro Jetting in Chevy Chase, MD

Signs of a main-line problem

• Water backs up through a basement floor drain or laundry sink
• Several fixtures drain slowly at the same time
• Toilets bubble when a tub or sink empties
• A line that was cleared with a cable is slow again within months
• Sewer odor in the basement near a cleanout

Chevy Chase conditions

Chevy Chase began in the 1890s as a streetcar suburb along Connecticut Avenue, built by the Chevy Chase Land Company. In ZIP 20815, about two-thirds of homes were built before 1980, and more than 2,600 date from 1939 or earlier. Houses of that age often still have cast iron drains inside and clay or iron laterals running out to the street, under mature trees whose roots have had a century to find the joints. A camera look comes first on these lines so the plumber can choose a pressure that cleans without stressing old pipe.

WSSC Water provides water and sewer service. If neighbors are backing up too, call WSSC Water's emergency service center at 301-206-4002. If it's only your house, start with a plumber.

Chevy Chase is a patchwork: an unincorporated area plus several small incorporated towns and villages, among them the Town of Chevy Chase. Jetting alone doesn't need a permit. If the camera leads to a repair, WSSC Water requires a plumber registered with WSSC working under a WSSC permit. Inside the Town of Chevy Chase, digging in the right-of-way also needs a Town permit on top of the County permit, and the Town won't approve its permit until the County's is issued.

What affects the cost

• Access to the line, including older basements where the cleanout may be hard to reach
• Root density and how many passes it takes
• Camera inspection before and after
• Pipe condition that calls for lower pressure and slower work
• After-hours timing

What happens when you call

The number on this page connects you with an independent plumber who covers Chevy Chase. Tell them which drains are affected, how old the house is, and whether the line has been cleaned or repaired before. Keep water use low until they arrive.