Well Pump Repair in Glenn Dale, MD

Is my Glenn Dale home on a well or on WSSC?

Most likely WSSC. Glenn Dale is an unincorporated community in central Prince George's County, bordered by Bowie to the east and Lanham and Seabrook to the west, and WSSC Water provides water and sewer across the county from the Potomac and Patuxent rivers. The water bill is the simple check. A home with no water bill and a capped well casing outside is on a private well, and that is when pump, switch and tank repairs come into play.

Where does the utility's job end and mine begin?

WSSC Water is responsible for the service line from the water main to the property line. From the property line into the house, the line belongs to the owner, and so does everything inside, from the main valve to the fixtures. If water is bubbling up at the curb or the whole street has lost pressure, call WSSC's Emergency Service Center at 301-206-4002. If the trouble is in your yard or inside the house, it is a job for a plumber, and most plumbing and gas work in the county must be done by a plumber or gasfitter holding a WSSC license, with permits and inspections through WSSC.

My house is fairly new. Why would pressure drop?

The median Glenn Dale home was built in 1991, newer than many neighboring communities, but parts of that age are wearing out now. A pressure reducing valve installed with the house can begin to creep or fail. Plastic service lines can be nicked by fence posts or irrigation trenches. Irrigation systems themselves often hide slow leaks. And if your lawn sprinklers have a testable backflow assembly, WSSC requires it to be tested every year by a certified cross-connection technician; a stuck or failed assembly can affect flow to the system it protects.

A local note

Glenn Dale's larger lots off High Bridge Road and Good Luck Road often have long service lines and sprinkler systems, which means more buried pipe to search when a leak shows up. Leak detection before digging keeps the repair small. On a property with its own well, also ask the plumber to check the pressure tank's air charge; it takes only a few minutes to set correctly and it protects the pump from short-cycling.