Fort Washington is unincorporated Prince George's County on WSSC Water, so WSSC handles water, sewer and every plumbing and gasfitting permit, and the county's DPIE issues none of those. Shopping centers along Indian Head Highway, churches, schools and riverfront businesses are the usual commercial calls. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Fort Washington.
A quick look at Fort Washington
Fort Washington stayed rural until about 1960 and is now a Potomac riverfront suburb with marinas, Fort Washington Park and commercial strips along MD 210, Livingston Road and Old Fort Road. The median home dates to 1980, so many buildings here are into their second or third water heater and their first round of drain and valve replacements.
What to do now
- Stop the water. Close the fixture valve or the building main, and keep people away from wet electrical equipment.
- If there's a gas smell, leave the building first, then call 911 and Washington Gas at 844-WASHGAS (927-4427), option 1, from outside.
- A main break in the road or a sewer overflow outside the building goes to WSSC at 301-206-4002.
- Write down which fixtures are affected and anything that changed recently, such as a delivery, an outage or a freeze.
- Call the number on this page to reach a plumber who takes commercial calls.
Symptoms and what usually causes them
| Symptom | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Floor drains back up when the kitchen is busy | Grease or debris narrowing the building drain |
| Irrigation backflow device sprays from the relief port | Worn checks or relief valve; rebuild and retest |
| Water heater relief valve dripping | High pressure, overheating or a tired valve |
| Soggy patch between the curb and the building | Service line leak on the owner's side of the property line |
| Toilets that refill on their own | Leaking flapper or flush valve seal |
WSSC requires testable assemblies, such as irrigation pressure vacuum breakers and reduced pressure zone devices, to be tested every year and after installation, repair or relocation. Only journeyman or master plumbers with a WSSC license who are certified cross-connection technicians may do it. Non-testable dual checks and boiler devices must be rebuilt or replaced every five years. WSSC's program line is 301-206-4004. Furnace, gas water heater and gas appliance replacements also require a plumber or gasfitter holding a WSSC license, with permits filed through WSSC ePermitting (301-206-4003).
What sets the price
- Scope: one fixture or a building-wide system
- Diagnostic work such as camera inspection or leak location
- Off-hours scheduling to keep the doors open
- Digging, coring or opening finished surfaces
- Permits, inspections and backflow retests
Commercial Plumbing questions in Fort Washington
Does a boiler or fire sprinkler line need backflow protection?
Which office issues plumbing permits for a business at this address?
What winter problems hit commercial buildings in this area?
Who is responsible for a sewer backup at a commercial property?
More plumbing services in Fort Washington
Commercial Plumbing nearby
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