Water Line Repair in Fairfax Station, VA

Signs of a service line leak

• Lawn that stays wet or turns greener in a stripe toward the house
• A drop in pressure at every fixture
• The meter's leak indicator moving with all water off
• Water near the main shutoff in the basement or garage
• A bill well above the same season last year

Fairfax Station conditions

Fairfax Station is a mostly residential, unincorporated community in southern Fairfax County that began in 1851 as a stop on the Orange and Alexandria Railroad. Homes sit along Ox Road and the Fairfax County Parkway on lots that are often larger and more wooded than in the inner suburbs, and the median home was built in 1982. Long setbacks mean long service lines, and lines from that era are reaching the age where fittings and joints start to fail. Water service varies by address in parts of the area, so check your bill to confirm your provider.

Fairfax County lists Fairfax Water as the water provider for county residents, drawing on the Occoquan Reservoir and the Potomac River. Fairfax Water owns the meter and its setting; the homeowner owns everything beyond it, including the service lateral from the street meter or valve to the main shutoff in the house. Fairfax Water keeps an online service line material inventory and asks customers to report their side's pipe through its Lead Free Fairfax survey. Cold winters add stress, since a line that runs shallow near a garage or crawlspace can freeze and split.

What affects the cost

• Run length. Larger lots can mean a long line from the street.
• Terrain and trees. Wooded, sloping ground and big roots slow digging.
• Scope. A single joint repair versus a new line.
• Restoration. Long driveways, walks and landscaping over the pipe.
• Permits. Fairfax County Land Development Services issues residential plumbing permits through PLUS.

What happens when you call

You'll be connected with an independent local plumber who serves Fairfax Station; Plumber Washington DC Pros is a referral line, not a plumbing company. Describe the wet area, the pressure change and whether the meter moves with everything off. If water is coming up at the meter box, call Fairfax Water at 703-698-5800 and press 2 after hours. If it's flowing inside, close the main shutoff first.