Plumbers in Arlington, VA

A county that works like a city

Arlington sits directly across the Potomac from the District, about 5 miles from downtown Washington in a straight line, and the 2020 Census counted 238,643 residents. It is the smallest self-governing county in the country by area and has no incorporated city inside it, so the county government handles services that a town hall would elsewhere. Dense corridors such as Rosslyn, Clarendon and Ballston follow the Metro lines, Pentagon City sits to the south, and quieter single-family streets like those in Cherrydale fill in between. I-66, U.S. Route 50 and I-395 carry most traffic through.

Where the water comes from

The Arlington County Department of Environmental Services, through its Water, Sewer, Streets Bureau, runs the public water system. Potomac River water is treated by the Washington Aqueduct at the Dalecarlia plant and piped across the river; the Willston pressure zone receives water the county buys from Fairfax Water. The county disinfects with chloramine and switches to chlorine for about six weeks each spring while it flushes mains, so a stronger pool smell for a few weeks is expected. Hardness is listed at about 8 grains per gallon (142 mg/L), enough to leave scale in water heaters and on faucet aerators over time.

The county owns the line from the main to the meter, including the meter and its box. Everything from the meter to the house is the owner's pipe, which makes a leak in the yard or a failing shutoff on that stretch a plumber's job. Arlington says it has found no lead service lines and never used lead for its side; owners can check their own line with a scratch and magnet test and report the material online.

Sewer, emergencies and housing age

Wastewater also belongs to the county and is treated at its Water Pollution Control Plant. For a main break, water where it shouldn't be or discolored water, the 24-hour hotline is 703-228-6555; billing and leak investigation requests go to 703-228-5000. The median Arlington home was built around 1976, so original copper, older shutoffs and aging drain lines all come up, alongside basements that need working sump pumps and floor drains after heavy summer storms.

Gas, permits and backflow

Washington Gas supplies natural gas. If you smell gas, get everyone out of the house first, then call 911 and the Washington Gas leak line at 844-WASHGAS (844-927-4427), option 1. Plumbing, gas and water heater permits go through the county's building and inspections program, using the Permit Arlington portal. Under the county's cross-connection program, restaurants and commercial buildings need backflow devices inspected every year, and residential irrigation systems are inspected after installation; any permit that includes a backflow device needs a final cross-connection inspection.

How Arlington differs from the District

Inside Washington, DC Water runs water and sewer and the DC Department of Buildings issues permits. In Arlington, both roles sit with the county, the meter marks the line between public and private pipe, and the water carries a bit more hardness than many owners expect. When you call, give your neighborhood and a short description of the problem, and you will be connected with an independent plumber who sets price and timing with you directly.