Commercial Plumbing in Kensington, MD

Does Kensington add its own approval to the WSSC permit?

For construction projects, it can. WSSC Water Permit Services (301-206-4003) issues the plumbing, gasfitting and service connection permits, and applications go through WSSC's ePermitting system. The Town of Kensington also has its own forms for home construction projects, fences and signs, so a remodel or a new sign for a storefront should be cleared with Town Hall as well. The 20895 postal area, often called Greater Kensington, is much larger than the town itself; addresses outside the town limits deal only with WSSC and Montgomery County.

What does the backflow program cover?

Under WSSC rules, a property with a testable backflow prevention assembly, such as one on lawn irrigation, a fire sprinkler system or some pools, must have it tested every year by a WSSC cross-connection technician. A registered principal master plumber then submits the field test report to WSSC electronically. A failed device has to be repaired and retested before the record is clean.

What should owners of older buildings check?

Kensington grew from a summer retreat into a commuter suburb, and its southern core keeps a largely intact Victorian-era layout, now the Kensington Historic District. The town's median home dates to 1959, so original galvanized supply piping, cast iron drains and old shutoff valves are common in buildings along Antique Row and Connecticut Avenue. WSSC publishes an address-searchable map of known or reported service line material, including the customer side, and runs a Service Line Replacement Program with replacement planning and financial assistance. Owners planning a renovation should look up the property first. It also pays to have a plumber run a camera through the building drain before new finishes go in, because an old cast iron line under a shop floor is much easier to deal with while the floor is open.

Local note

WSSC water comes from the Potomac River and the Patuxent reservoirs and is disinfected with free chlorine. Main breaks and sewer problems in the street go to WSSC's emergency line at 301-206-4002. If staff smell gas, leave the building first, then call 911 and Washington Gas at 844-WASHGAS (927-4427), option 1.