Water Line Repair in Greenbelt, MD

What happens when you call

Plumber Washington DC Pros is a free referral line, not a plumbing company. Your call is connected with an independent local plumber who works in Greenbelt. Expect a few questions: where the water is showing up, whether the meter moves with everything turned off, how old the house is and whether you're in a single-family home, a townhouse or a co-op unit. In the cooperative and townhouse sections of town, it helps to know whether the line is shared or maintained by an association before work starts. The plumber will then confirm the leak, often with listening equipment, and explain the options.

Cost factors

• Pipe material and age. The median Greenbelt home was built in 1976, and original 1930s to 1970s plumbing is common, so a full replacement may make more sense than a patch.
• Shared or individual line. Attached homes may share runs, which affects who pays and how much has to be opened.
• Length and depth. Longer runs and deeper pipe mean more excavation.
• Surface restoration. Walkways, lawns and landscaping above the pipe need to be put back.
• Permits. WSSC permits plumbing work, and the City of Greenbelt requires its own building permit for projects that also need a county building permit.

Local conditions in Greenbelt

Greenbelt was planned in the 1930s as a New Deal cooperative community, and the historic core around Roosevelt Center sits alongside later neighborhoods to the east and west. The city points residents to WSSC Water's Emergency Service Center at 301-206-4002 for water and sewer emergencies, and WSSC customer service is at 301-206-4001. WSSC says part of every service line is utility-owned and part is customer-owned, and it asks customers planning to replace their own portion to notify it first. Its What's Your Pipe Type? program inventories service line materials and verifies lines listed as lead, unknown or galvanized.

Hardness is moderate and varies with the treatment plant serving your address, so it isn't the usual reason a buried line fails. Age, joint failure and freeze damage near the foundation are more common causes.

Before the plumber arrives

• Find the main shutoff and make sure it turns
• Note the meter reading, then check it again after 30 minutes with no water in use
• Clear a path to the spot where the pipe enters the house
• Have your water bill handy in case WSSC needs to be contacted
• If you're in a co-op or HOA, check who maintains the line