Leak Detection in Herndon, VA

Herndon water service

The Town of Herndon runs its own water and sewer utility inside town limits and buys finished water from Fairfax Water, mostly from the Corbalis plant on the Potomac River. Many homes with a Herndon mailing address, including areas south of the Dulles Toll Road, are outside the town and are typically on Fairfax Water directly. Check your bill before calling about a meter or a leak at the street. Inside town, the Town's water report lists the Public Works Utility Manager at 703-435-6800, ext. 2153, and the Operations Division at 703-435-6860.

Corbalis plant water runs about 70 to 185 mg/L hardness, averaging roughly 7.5 grains per gallon, enough to wear on valves and toilet parts over time. The Town maintains a service line inventory and reports that it has found no lead service lines while building it.

The median home was built in 1983. The town has a historic downtown, and much of its housing dates from the 1980s and later. Typical leak points are aging shutoff valves, water heater connections, toilet fill valves and supply joints behind finished walls. Where homes share walls or floors, water from one home's leak can travel along joists and show up somewhere unexpected, which is one more reason to confirm the source before anything is opened.

Leak locations compared

Signs to act on

• A bill out of step with your usual use
• Running-water sounds when everything is off
• Lower pressure on one floor
• Mildew in a closet that backs onto a bathroom

Through the seasons

Inside town, backflow devices on irrigation must be tested every year by a certified tester, with results sent to Town Building Inspections, so spring start-up is a natural time to look for sprinkler leaks too. Winter freezes can crack pipes in exterior walls and hose bibbs that weren't drained. If a repair needs a permit, Town Building Inspections issues plumbing and gas permits inside town limits, while addresses outside go to Fairfax County.