Inside the City of Falls Church, Fairfax Water supplies the water, the City runs the sewers and the City's Code Administration issues permits. Plenty of Falls Church-addressed businesses, such as those around Seven Corners, are actually in Fairfax or Arlington County. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Falls Church.
The city in brief
Falls Church is a small independent city just inside the Beltway where Route 29 and Route 7 meet. The median home was built in 1971, and about half are older than that, so many mixed-use and rental buildings run on original drain and supply piping.
What to do now
- Shut off the water at the fixture or the main valve.
- Gas odor? Get everyone out first, then call 911 and Washington Gas at 844-WASHGAS (844-927-4427), option 1.
- Water main or meter issue? Fairfax Water's customer line is 703-698-5800.
- Sewer backing up? Stop running water and call a plumber; the City maintains the public sewer, but defects in the private lateral belong to the owner.
- Confirm the jurisdiction. If the building is outside city limits, Fairfax or Arlington County rules apply.
- Call for help and say whether you need to stay open.
Symptoms and likely causes
| Symptom | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Basement drain backing up in a storm | Overloaded lateral or a missing backwater device |
| Kitchen line slowing weekly | Grease buildup or a sagging pipe section |
| Chlorine taste in spring | Fairfax Water's seasonal switch to free chlorine |
| Brown water after a weekend | Corrosion in older supply piping |
| Running restroom fixtures | Worn flush valve parts |
The City's water utility was sold to Fairfax Water, which now serves the city with water from the Potomac River and Occoquan Reservoir; it uses chloramine normally July through March and free chlorine roughly April through June. The City's sewers flow partly to Arlington County's treatment plant and partly through Fairfax County to Alexandria's. State rules require backflow assemblies to be tested at installation, after repair and every year, with reports filed through Fairfax County's cross-connection site. The City also runs a sewer Backflow Prevention Program that reimburses installation of a sewer backflow device under a plumbing permit; ask the City whether your property qualifies.
Cost factors
- Age of the building and access to its piping
- Permits from Code Administration, 300 Park Avenue (703-248-5080)
- Camera work on older laterals
- After-hours scheduling
- Whether a backflow assembly passes on the first test
Before work starts, ask how the job will be priced and what the first visit includes.
Commercial Plumbing questions in Falls Church
Does a local mailing address mean the town or the county handles our permits?
Do fire sprinkler and irrigation connections need backflow protection?
Who do we call first when a sewer backup might be coming from the street?
Do HOAs, apartment owners and property managers use this service?
More plumbing services in Falls Church
Commercial Plumbing nearby
Helpful guides
Sources
- City of Falls Church: new resident checklist
- City of Falls Church: sewer
- City of Falls Church: Backflow Prevention Program
- City of Falls Church: Code Administration
- Fairfax Water: annual report on water quality
- Fairfax Water: water quality
- Fairfax Water: cross-connection control and backflow prevention
- Washington Gas: safety and the emergency leak line
- Falls Church housing by year built
Last updated: