Plumbers in Boyds, MD

A railroad village that stayed rural

Boyds grew up on the B&O Metropolitan Branch as a railroad and dairy-farming village, and it still has a MARC stop on the Brunswick Line. It sits about 25 miles from downtown Washington, governed by Montgomery County under the Boyds postal name (ZIP 20841). Maryland Route 117, Barnesville Road and White Ground Road wind past Black Hill Regional Park, Little Seneca Lake and Seneca Creek State Park.

Know your water and sewer before you call

WSSC Water is Montgomery County's public utility, but service in a place like Boyds depends on the property. Some homes are connected to WSSC water and sewer; others may rely on a private well and a private onsite wastewater system. Check your bills, or the property's county water and sewer category, before the plumber arrives, because the diagnosis changes completely.

• On WSSC water: chlorine disinfection, UV at both plants and orthophosphate to limit corrosion, as described in WSSC's water quality report. Emergencies in the street go to 301-206-4002; customer service is 301-206-4001.
• On a well: the pump, pressure tank and any treatment are the owner's responsibility.
• Not on municipal sewer: the private onsite system and the line from the house to it are the owner's to maintain.

For WSSC customers, part of the service line belongs to the utility and part to the homeowner. WSSC banned lead as a service line material in 1954 and keeps a What's Your Pipe Type map for address lookups.

Permits cover propane too

WSSC Water issues permits for and inspects plumbing and all natural gas and LP gas installations in Montgomery County. That means a propane water heater, range or furnace hookup in Boyds needs a WSSC permit and a gasfitter holding a WSSC license, the same as natural gas (Permit Services, 301-206-4003). Montgomery County's Department of Permitting Services (240-777-0311) handles building, electrical and mechanical permits. If your home is on WSSC water and has irrigation, its testable backflow assembly needs a test every year by a certified cross-connection technician; the county's cross-connection line is 301-206-7932.

Gas or propane smell

Gas service varies here, and many rural homes use propane or are all-electric. If you smell gas, leave the house first. Then call 911 and your gas utility, or 911 and your propane supplier if you have a tank.

Making the call

Describe the problem and say whether you are on public water or a well. You will be connected with an independent plumber who covers the Boyds area and agrees on price and timing with you.