Water Line Repair in Damascus, MD

Signs of a failing service line

• A wet, sunken or unusually green patch on the route between the street and the house
• Low pressure at every faucet and shower at the same time
• A WSSC bill rising for no reason, or a well pump that runs when nobody is using water
• Water seeping into the basement where the pipe comes through the wall
• Air spurting from faucets after a period of no use

Damascus conditions

Damascus is a small town in upper Montgomery County, historically rural and still ringed by family farms and equestrian properties where MD 27, MD 108 and MD 124 meet. Its median home was built in 1984. About 35 percent of homes predate 1980 and another 37 percent went up in the 1980s, which makes the housing older than in most of upcounty Montgomery. Service lines from that era have been underground for 40 to 50 years, and fittings near the foundation and at the meter are common failure points.

For WSSC customers, WSSC Water is responsible from the main to the property line and the homeowner from the property line into the house. WSSC also runs a small local wastewater plant, the Damascus Water Resource Recovery Facility. Montgomery County gives every property a water and sewer category, and homes outside the public service categories use private wells and onsite systems, so confirm which setup your property has before calling about a leak.

What affects the cost

• How far the house sits from the street or the well, which can be a long way on larger lots
• Repairing a section versus replacing the whole run
• Driveways, paddock fencing, mature trees and stone walls along the route
• Whether the line enters through a finished lower level
• A WSSC Water plumbing permit and inspection

What happens when you call

The number on this page connects you with an independent plumber who serves Damascus and the surrounding farm country; this service is a referral line, not a plumbing company. Tell the plumber whether you are on WSSC water or a well, where the ground is wet and how long it has been that way. If water is coming up near the curb or road, call WSSC Water at 301-206-4002 before anything else. Otherwise, close the main valve if the leak is heavy, and the plumber will confirm the location before discussing repair options.