Damascus homes are mostly from the 1970s through the 1990s, so hidden leaks often come from original valves, fittings and water heater connections, and properties on the rural edges may be on private wells. A plumber can test the system in sections to find where water is escaping. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Damascus.
Signs of a hidden leak
- A WSSC Water bill that rises without a change in household routine
- A meter still moving when every tap and appliance is off
- A well pump that switches on overnight when no one is using water
- Stains on a basement ceiling or bubbling paint on a lower wall
- A damp, green strip in the yard between the street and the house
- Hissing or trickling sounds in walls when the house is quiet
Damascus conditions that matter
Damascus is a small, historically rural community in upper Montgomery County where MD 27, MD 108 and MD 124 meet. About 35 percent of homes were built before 1980, and another 37 percent in the 1980s, an older mix than most upcounty communities. Many houses have reached the age where original shutoff valves, supply lines and copper fittings begin to seep.
The town core is on WSSC Water, and WSSC runs a small wastewater plant in Damascus. Montgomery County assigns each property a water and sewer category, though, and some properties around the farms and horse country on the edges are designated for private wells and onsite wastewater systems. If you're not sure which you have, check the property's water and sewer category with the County.
For WSSC customers, WSSC Water owns the service line from the main to the property line, and the homeowner is responsible from the property line into the house. That split decides who repairs a buried leak.
What affects the cost
- Whether the home is on public water or a well, since well systems add a pump, tank and buried line
- How many branches, fixtures and outbuildings need testing
- Length of the buried line from the meter or well to the house
- Access to the leak: finished basement, crawlspace or open framing
- The repair and any WSSC Water permit it requires
What happens when you call
An independent plumber who works in Damascus will ask whether you're on WSSC Water or a well, how long usage has been up, and what you've noticed. Have a recent bill or note how often the pump has been running. If you can, close the main and see whether the meter or pump stops; that tells the plumber whether to start inside or outside.
Leak Detection questions in Damascus
How do I look for a leak if the house is on a private well?
Who is responsible for a leak between the street and my house?
Can a hard freeze cause a leak I won't notice until spring?
Are older homes here more likely to have hidden leaks?
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