Hydro Jetting in Damascus, MD

Signs the main line needs more than a snake

• The same drain has been cleared more than once this year
• A basement floor drain or shower fills when the washing machine empties
• Toilets gurgle or bubble when other fixtures run
• A cable brought back root fibers or a greasy gray coating
• Slow drainage across the whole house rather than at one sink

Damascus conditions

Damascus is a historically rural community in upper Montgomery County where MD 27, MD 108 and MD 124 meet, surrounded by family farms and equestrian centers. The median home was built in 1984, and about 35% of houses predate 1980, with another large share from the 1980s, so the housing is older than much of upcounty Montgomery. That mix means some homes have older iron or clay underground and others have plastic.

WSSC Water provides public sewer to the core of Damascus and runs a small local treatment plant there, the Damascus Water Resource Recovery Facility. Montgomery County assigns each property a water and sewer category, and homes outside the public sewer categories use a private onsite wastewater system instead. If your home is one of those, tell the plumber up front: the drain line still can be jetted, but it ends at a tank rather than a street main, and the cause of a slow drain may be at the tank end.

What affects the cost

• Where the plumber can get into the line
• The length of the drain run, which can be long on larger lots
• Roots versus grease and paper
• Camera inspection to see the pipe material and any damage
• Night or weekend scheduling

Clearing a line is maintenance. If the camera shows a broken section of sewer service line, WSSC Water requires the repair to be done by a plumber registered with WSSC under a WSSC permit.

What happens when you call

You'll be connected with an independent plumber who covers Damascus. Say whether the house is on public sewer, roughly how old it is, and which drains are slow. If neighbors on public sewer are backing up too, call WSSC Water's emergency service center at 301-206-4002 first. Meanwhile, keep water use low.