Plumbers in Hyattsville, MD

An inner-ring city with deep roots

Hyattsville was incorporated on April 7, 1886, and sits about 5 miles from downtown Washington in a straight line. It is a walkable urban suburb with an arts district along US Route 1 (Baltimore Avenue) and a National Register historic district of late-1880s Victorians and interwar Sears and Arts and Crafts bungalows. Newer development clusters around Hyattsville Crossing, University Town Center and the West Hyattsville Metro area, and the Northwest Branch Trail and Rhode Island Avenue Trolley Trail run through town.

Some of the oldest plumbing in the county

The median Hyattsville home was built around 1963, which means about half are older than that, some by many decades. In those houses, plumbers regularly find galvanized steel supply lines that have narrowed inside, cast iron drain stacks and basement lines, older clay or cast iron sewer laterals, and remodels that joined new pipe to old in creative ways. Low pressure at upstairs fixtures, rusty water after the water has been off, slow basement drains and root-blocked laterals are all common calls. A camera inspection before replacing a lateral, and a look at the supply piping before a bathroom remodel, can save money later.

Water and sewer

WSSC Water provides both water and sewer service here; the city does not run its own system. The water comes from the Potomac River and the Patuxent River reservoirs, Triadelphia and Duckett. WSSC uses free chlorine, not chloramine, in the distribution system and has added UV disinfection at its filtration plants. Its report does not list a hardness value.

WSSC says it has removed all known lead pipes within its distribution system and is identifying service line materials, including on private property, with a lookup map at wsscwater.com/LCR-map. In a house this age, it is worth checking what the map shows for yours. For a main break or sewer overflow, call WSSC's Emergency Service Center at 301-206-4002.

Permits and who can do the work

• The City of Hyattsville has no permits office. Building permits are a Prince George's County function, and all plumbing permits and inspections come from WSSC Water (Permit Services 301-206-4003).
• A water heater replacement and any testable backflow device need a permit, even in an existing home.
• Gas water heater, furnace and other gas appliance replacements must be done by a gasfitter holding a WSSC license, and water and sewer service line repairs by a plumber holding one.
• Backflow assemblies must be tested every year by a WSSC-certified cross-connection technician; the program line is 301-206-4004.

Gas safety

Washington Gas serves Prince George's County, including Hyattsville, though BGE covers some parts of the county. If you smell gas, get everyone outside before doing anything else, then call 911 and the Washington Gas Emergency Leak Line, 844-WASHGAS (844-927-4427), option 1.

How Hyattsville differs from the District

The housing looks a lot like nearby parts of Washington, but the rules do not: WSSC, not DC Water or the DC Department of Buildings, handles water, sewer and plumbing permits. When you call, tell us your street and what is happening, and you will be connected with an independent local plumber who sets the price and timing with you.