A slab leak in College Park is a supply pipe leaking under a concrete floor, most often a basement slab or the lower level of a townhouse. WSSC Water owns the service line only up to the property line, so the pipe beneath your floor is yours to fix. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in College Park.
College Park has a wide spread of housing, from early twentieth-century homes in Calvert Hills and Old Town to newer apartments and mixed-use buildings near the University of Maryland. The median home dates to about 1979. In older houses the water service usually enters through a basement wall, but some lines run under the basement floor to reach the shutoff, and townhouses and additions often put supply pipe beneath a slab.
What to do right now
- Run a meter test. Shut off every faucet, appliance and outdoor spigot, then watch the leak indicator on the meter for several minutes.
- Check the obvious. Listen for a toilet refilling and look under sinks and around the water heater before assuming the leak is buried.
- Test the hot side. Close the cold inlet valve on the water heater. If the meter stops, the leak is probably on a hot line.
- Protect the floor. Move rugs, boxes and furniture off damp areas so they can dry.
- Know your shutoff. Find the main valve, usually where the service enters the basement or front wall, and close it if water is spreading.
- Call WSSC if it is outside. Water surfacing near the street or the meter goes to WSSC Water's emergency line, 301-206-4002.
Symptoms and likely causes
| Symptom | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Warm spot on a tile or concrete floor | Hot water line leaking under the slab |
| Meter moves, floor stays dry | Leak draining into soil under the house or in the yard line |
| Water on the basement floor after storms only | Groundwater or surface seepage rather than a pipe |
| Damp carpet along one wall | Supply line leaking under or beside the slab |
| Water heater runs constantly | Hot water escaping through a hidden leak |
The storm row matters here. Parts of College Park sit along Paint Branch and Indian Creek, and the Lakeland area is historically low-lying and prone to flooding, so water on a lower floor is not always plumbing. A meter test separates the two quickly.
What drives the cost
- How long it takes to isolate and pinpoint the leak
- Whether a spot repair through the concrete is practical or a reroute is wiser
- The floor finish that has to be opened and restored
- Any drying or drywall work in a finished lower level
- A WSSC Water permit when the work calls for one; WSSC also requires a plumber holding its license for interior re-piping
Slab Leak Repair questions in College Park
Why does one patch of floor feel warm?
Most homes around here have basements. Can they still get a slab leak?
Where is the main shutoff valve usually found?
Can a drain pipe under the slab leak, not just a water line?
More plumbing services in College Park
Slab Leak Repair nearby
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