Hydro jetting clears a Potomac main drain or sewer lateral by spraying high-pressure water along the inside of the pipe, removing grease, sludge and roots that a drain cable leaves behind. Whether the line runs to public sewer or to a private onsite system changes how the job is approached. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Potomac.
Potomac lines and lots
Potomac grew from farmland into a suburb of large lots centered on Potomac Village, where Falls Road and River Road meet, and its median home was built in 1977. Montgomery County gives every property a water category and a sewer category, and some are planned for private wells and onsite wastewater systems instead of public service. Homes in WSSC Water's public sewer areas drain to WSSC mains. Homes outside them drain to a private onsite wastewater system the owner maintains. Your county service category or your bill tells you which you have.
Long building drains on large lots, decades-old pipe and mature trees all make Potomac lines candidates for jetting when they keep clogging. Older farmhouses that still stand among the newer developments can have the oldest drain piping of all, and a camera look before jetting is the careful way to start on those.
What to do now
- Cut back water use right away: hold off on laundry, dishes and long showers.
- Check the lowest drain in the house. Water standing there means the main line, not one fixture.
- If you are on public sewer and neighbors are also backing up, call WSSC Water's emergency line at 301-206-4002.
- If your home is not on municipal sewer, tell the plumber, since the line ends at a tank rather than a street main and the cause may be at the tank end.
- Find the cleanout if you can and clear space around it.
Symptoms and likely causes
| Symptom | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Several drains slow at once | Blockage in the main building drain or lateral |
| Water at a basement floor drain after a flush | Main line restricted downstream of the floor drain |
| Clogs return a few months after cabling | Grease coating or roots left on the pipe wall |
| Roots on the end of a cable | A loose or cracked joint in the underground line |
| Wet ground or odor along the drain route | Possible break in the line; a camera check is needed |
Cost factors
- Length of the run, which can be long on large lots
- Cleanout location and access
- Roots or grease, and how many passes they take
- Camera inspection and locating the line
- Whether repairs follow, which WSSC Water requires a plumber registered with WSSC to perform on a WSSC permit
Hydro Jetting questions in Potomac
Can jetting be done at a home that is not on municipal sewer?
How do I find out who maintains the sewer main on my street?
What affects the price of a jetting job?
Should a camera go down the line before it is jetted?
More plumbing services in Potomac
Hydro Jetting nearby
Helpful guides
Sources
Last updated: