Plumbers in College Park, MD

A university city near the DC line

College Park, incorporated in 1945, sits about 8 miles from downtown Washington in a straight line and roughly four miles from the District line. The University of Maryland dominates the middle of town, and US 1 (Baltimore Avenue) and MD 193 (University Boulevard and Greenbelt Road) carry most traffic. Early 20th-century neighborhoods such as Calvert Hills and Old Town sit beside Berwyn, Lakeland, College Park Woods and a growing band of apartment and mixed-use buildings.

Housing age and what it means for pipes

The median College Park home was built around 1979, but that number hides a wide range. Houses in the older neighborhoods can have galvanized supply lines, cast iron drains and clay or cast iron sewer laterals, while newer buildings have plastic and copper. Plumbers here see slow drains from corroded pipe, laterals cracked by roots, and old shutoff valves that will not close when they are finally needed.

Low ground and basement water

The city straddles Paint Branch and Indian Creek, and the Lakeland area is historically low-lying and flood-prone. For homes with basements, that makes sump pumps, backwater valves, floor drains and heavy-rain backups a regular topic. If your pump runs often in storms, have it checked before the next big one.

Water, sewer and service lines

WSSC Water supplies College Park from the Potomac River and the Patuxent River reservoirs. Its disinfectant is chlorine, and it adds a corrosion inhibitor that coats pipes, including those on customer property. WSSC's report gives no hardness figure for your tap. Water and sewer emergencies go to the WSSC Emergency Services Center at 301-206-4002.

WSSC is responsible for the part of the water service line connected to the main; the customer owns the part running from the property line into the house. WSSC publishes a service line material map at wsscwater.com/LCR-map, and its "What's Your Pipe Type?" program notes that some customer-side galvanized lines need replacing.

Permits, backflow and gas

• Plumbing and gasfitting permits and inspections: WSSC Water Permit Services, 301-206-4003, through WSSC ePermitting. Building, electrical and mechanical permits come from Prince George's County DPIE.
• Homeowners may not do gasfitting, and water and sewer service line repairs need a plumber holding a WSSC license.
• A testable backflow assembly on record with WSSC must be tested every year by a WSSC-certified cross-connection technician; WSSC does not do the test itself.

Washington Gas serves the city; a Washington Gas presentation on the city's website covers main and service replacement in College Park Woods. BGE serves parts of the county, so check your bill near the edges. If you smell gas, get outside, then call 911 and Washington Gas at 844-WASHGAS (844-927-4427), option 1.

What to expect when you call

Tell us your neighborhood and what is happening, whether it is a backed-up basement drain in Lakeland or a dead water heater in Berwyn. You will be connected with an independent local plumber who sets the price and timing with you.