Hydro Jetting in Fort Washington, MD

For a Fort Washington sewer or drain line that keeps clogging, hydro jetting sends high-pressure water through the pipe to strip out grease, sludge and roots so the line flows at full width again. It is a deeper cleaning than snaking. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Fort Washington.

Hydro jetting hose feeding into an outdoor sewer cleanout beside a tree-lined yard with grass and mature oak trees, hydro jetting in Fort Washington, MD

Fort Washington stayed rural until about 1960 and then filled in with suburban streets, so most homes here date from the 1960s onward; the median was built in 1980. WSSC Water provides water and sewer service in the area, and its water and sewer emergency line is 301-206-4002. Riverfront and wooded lots near the Potomac often mean long service lines and mature trees, and both can make a main line more prone to roots and buildup. Kitchen grease is the other usual culprit, especially in homes where the main line has never been cleaned since it was installed. Jetting deals with both without digging, as long as the pipe is still sound.

What to do now

Stop running water in the house, including the washer and dishwasher.
Check the lowest drain. Rising water there points to the main line rather than one fixture.
If a street manhole is overflowing or neighbors have the same problem, call WSSC Water at 301-206-4002.
If it's only your home, locate the cleanout but leave the cap on if the line is full.
Call a plumber and mention how long the line runs to the street and whether there are big trees nearby.

Call now to be connected with a local plumber in Fort Washington.

(202) 915-7612

Symptoms and what they usually mean

Symptom	Likely cause
Main line clogs every few months	Roots at a joint or grease coating the pipe
Gurgling toilets when the tub drains	Partial blockage downstream of both fixtures
Slow drains after a long dry spell, then heavy rain	Roots reaching for moisture in an older line
Sewage smell near the basement floor drain	Water sitting in a partly blocked main
A single slow sink	A branch clog, often fixable without jetting

What drives the cost

Line length, which can be longer on larger and riverfront lots
Access to a cleanout
Root mass versus soft grease
A camera inspection before or after
After-hours scheduling

Jetting itself is a cleaning job. If the camera shows a broken or separated section, repairs in Prince George's County go through WSSC Water, which issues all plumbing permits in the county, and the work has to be done by a plumber holding a WSSC license.

Hydro Jetting questions in Fort Washington

Do roots grow back into a sewer line once it has been jetted?

On wooded Fort Washington lots, roots are a common reason lines clog again. Jetting cuts them out, but they can return through the same joint, so periodic cleaning or a joint repair is the long-term answer.

How often does a main sewer line need jetting?

It depends on the cause. A line with recurring roots may need jetting every year or two; a line that clogged once from grease may not need it again for a long time.

What drives the price of a jetting job?

Line length, access to a cleanout, the type of blockage and whether a camera inspection is added are the main factors.

How do I find out which utility handles my sewer?

Most of Fort Washington is on WSSC Water. Your water and sewer bill will show the provider; WSSC handles sewer emergencies at 301-206-4002.