Commercial Plumbing in Suitland, MD

Who signs off on plumbing work at a Suitland business?

WSSC Water is the inspection agency for plumbing and gasfitting in Prince George's County. A contractor applies through WSSC's ePermitting system, and Permit Services can be reached at 301-206-4003. Any gas water heater replacement and all gasfitting have to be done by a plumber or gasfitter holding a WSSC license. Prince George's County DPIE covers the building, electrical and mechanical side. For a restaurant fit-out on Silver Hill Road or a restroom remodel in an office near Suitland Parkway, expect both agencies to be involved.

What does WSSC expect from backflow devices on commercial property?

If a building has a testable backflow prevention assembly on record, WSSC requires it to be tested every year by a cross-connection technician with a WSSC license, and a registered principal master plumber sends the results to WSSC electronically. WSSC does not perform the field tests, and maintaining the assembly is the customer's responsibility. Fire service lines, boiler feeds, irrigation and process water at commercial sites are the usual places these devices sit. A failed test generally means a rebuild of the check or relief components followed by a retest.

What about older piping and the service line?

Much of Suitland's housing went up after federal offices arrived during and after World War II, with a median build year around 1973, so many garden apartments and small commercial buildings still have their original supply and drain lines. Galvanized supply narrows with scale, and older cast iron drains crack and root through. WSSC handles the part of the water service line that connects to the main; the owner is responsible from the property line into the building. WSSC says it removed all known lead pipe from its distribution system, publishes a service line inventory at wsscwater.com/LCR-map, and notes that some customer-side galvanized lines need replacement.

One note on gas

Washington Gas and BGE both serve parts of Prince George's County, so the gas bill tells you which utility serves a given Suitland building. If anyone smells gas, get everyone outside first, then call 911 and your gas utility from a safe distance. Water or sewer emergencies, such as a main break or a sewer overflow in the street, go to WSSC's Emergency Services Center at 301-206-4002.