Plumbers in Oxon Hill, MD

Where Oxon Hill begins and ends

Oxon Hill lies southeast of Washington along the Potomac, about 7 miles from downtown in a straight line, at the Maryland end of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. Indian Head Highway (MD 210) and the Capital Beltway frame much of it, and Glassmanor, Oxon Hill Manor, Rosecroft Raceway and the Eastover and Rivertowne shopping centers are familiar names. National Harbor next door is now its own census-designated place, and Forest Heights is a separate incorporated town, so an Oxon Hill mailing address does not always mean the Oxon Hill area. Prince George's County handles building permits here; there is no local government.

A mix of garden apartments, townhouses and houses

Housing in Oxon Hill ranges from garden apartments to townhouses to single-family homes, and the median was built around 1972. Much of it still has original-era plumbing. In stacked or attached homes, a leaking supply line or failing wax ring can show up as a stain in the unit below, so tracing the source quickly matters. In single-family houses from this period, plumbers see worn shutoff valves, pinhole leaks, aging water heaters and sewer laterals that have picked up roots.

Water and sewer from WSSC

WSSC Water serves Prince George's County, including Oxon Hill, with water from the Potomac River and the Patuxent River reservoirs, Triadelphia and T. Howard Duckett. Chlorine is the disinfectant, and WSSC adds a corrosion inhibitor that forms a coating inside pipes, including household plumbing. For water or sewer emergencies, call the WSSC Emergency Services Center at 301-206-4002; customer service is 301-206-4001.

WSSC is responsible for the part of the water service line connected to the main, and the owner has the section from the property line into the home. WSSC's map at wsscwater.com/LCR-map shows recorded service line materials, and its "What's Your Pipe Type?" program says some customer-side galvanized lines need replacing.

Permits and licensing

WSSC Water, not the county, permits and inspects plumbing and gasfitting work here, through WSSC ePermitting (Permit Services 301-206-4003). Prince George's County DPIE handles building, electrical and mechanical permits. Homeowners may not do gasfitting, and water and sewer service line repairs must be done by a plumber holding a WSSC license. Any testable backflow assembly WSSC has on record for a property, common in commercial buildings and some irrigation systems, must be tested every year by a WSSC-certified cross-connection technician.

If you smell gas

Washington Gas and BGE each serve parts of Prince George's County, so check your bill to see which one serves your address. If you smell gas, leave the building first; in an apartment, do not stop to investigate. Once outside, call 911 and your gas utility. Some units here are all-electric.

Different from the District

A few miles north, DC Water and the DC Department of Buildings handle these jobs. In Oxon Hill, WSSC does both the water and the plumbing permits. Call, give your street or complex name, and you will be connected with an independent plumber who sets the price and schedule with you.