Hydro Jetting in Centreville, VA

Signs your main line needs more than a plunger

• The basement or lowest-level shower drain fills when the dishwasher drains
• Two or more bathrooms slow down in the same week
• A gurgle from the toilet whenever the washing machine pumps out
• The kitchen sink has needed clearing several times since last year

Centreville homes and the county sewer

Centreville is unincorporated, so its public sewers belong to Fairfax County's Department of Public Works and Environmental Services, Wastewater Management. The County owns the mains under the street; the lateral from your house to that main is the property owner's to maintain, and the County does not locate or mark private laterals. If sewage comes up with nothing running in the house, the County's 24-hour line, 703-323-1211, is the first call, because a blockage in its main is its problem.

Centreville grew mostly in the 1980s and 1990s, and the median home was built around 1991. That means a lot of plastic drain pipe here. Plastic doesn't rust or scale like old iron, but it collects kitchen grease, soap residue and wipes, especially in townhouse stacks where several fixtures share one line. Jetting rinses that film off cleanly, and it is safe for plastic pipe in good condition.

What affects the price

• Cleanout access: an exterior cleanout is quickest; working through a toilet flange takes longer
• The distance from the house to the County main
• What the blockage is made of
• Whether you want a camera look to confirm the line is clear
• Time of day and day of week

If the camera finds a sagging or broken section that needs repair, the permit comes from Fairfax County Land Development Services through its PLUS online system.

What happens on the call

You'll be connected with an independent plumber who covers Centreville. Expect questions about which fixtures are affected, whether the house is a townhouse or single-family home, and where the cleanout is if you know. Holding off on laundry and long showers until the visit keeps more water from stacking up behind the blockage. If you rent a townhouse, let the owner or association know as well, since a shared line may be involved and they may want the cleaning documented.