When a College Park sewer line keeps clogging, hydro jetting uses pressurized water to scrub the pipe clean from end to end instead of punching a temporary hole through the blockage. It works on grease, sludge, scale and roots. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in College Park.
College Park mixes early 20th-century neighborhoods like Calvert Hills and Old Town with newer apartments and mixed-use buildings near the University of Maryland. The median home dates to 1979, but the older streets have lines that are far older than that, and Lakeland, a historically low-lying and flood-prone area between Paint Branch and Indian Creek, has a long history with basement water. WSSC Water provides sewer service across the city.
What to do right now
- Stop using water: no laundry, dishwasher, showers or flushing until the line is clear.
- Look at the lowest drain in the house, usually a basement floor drain or shower. If wastewater is rising there, the blockage is in the main line, not one fixture.
- Find your cleanout if you can, often a capped pipe in the basement, by the foundation or in the yard. Don't open it if the line is full; sewage can spill out under pressure.
- Ask a neighbor whether their drains are working. If several houses are affected, or a manhole is overflowing, call the WSSC Water Emergency Services Center at 301-206-4002.
- If it's just your house, call a plumber and mention whether the line has been cleaned before.
Symptoms and likely causes
| Symptom | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Floor drain fills when the washer drains | Partial blockage in the main line past the floor drain |
| Clog returns weeks after cabling | Grease or scale left coating the pipe |
| Root hairs on the cable | Roots entering an older clay or iron joint |
| Backups after heavy rain | Groundwater or storm water getting into an older line, or a partially blocked main |
| Only the kitchen sink is slow | A grease plug in the kitchen branch, not the main |
What affects the cost
- How easy the cleanout is to reach
- Pipe material and condition, especially in older Calvert Hills and Old Town homes
- How long the line runs to the main
- Whether a camera inspection is part of the visit
- Rental and multi-unit buildings, which can have longer or shared lines
Should the camera show broken pipe, sewer service line repair in Prince George's County is permitted and inspected through WSSC Water and done by a plumber holding a WSSC license.
Hydro Jetting questions in College Park
Can jetting stop a basement floor drain from backing up in storms?
Is jetting safe for an older cast iron or clay sewer pipe?
Who do I call first when sewage comes up in the house?
How do I keep the line clear after it has been jetted?
More plumbing services in College Park
Hydro Jetting nearby
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