Plumbers in Montgomery Village, MD

A Kettler-built community

Kettler Brothers began Montgomery Village in the late 1960s, and the first residents moved in in 1967. It is about 21 miles from downtown Washington, uses Gaithersburg mailing addresses, and is run day to day by the Montgomery Village Foundation, a homeowners association rather than a town. Villages such as Goshenside, Walkers Choice, Cider Mill and Christopher Court surround Lake Whetstone and South Valley Park, with I-270 exits at Montgomery Village Avenue and Watkins Mill Road.

What 1970s construction means for plumbing

About half the homes in ZIP 20886 were built before 1980, and the 1970s were the biggest decade. Fifty-year-old houses and townhouses tend to need shutoff valves that no longer close, supply lines and drain pipes nearing replacement, worn tub and shower valves, and the second or third water heater in the same closet. Shared walls in townhouse rows make fast leak repair important, and your HOA may have its own rules for exterior work.

WSSC water and sewer

WSSC Water serves Montgomery and Prince George's counties, this community included. It has installed ultraviolet disinfection at both filtration plants, keeps a chlorine residual in the mains, and adds orthophosphate as a corrosion inhibitor. WSSC says it removed all known lead pipe from its distribution system in the early 2000s and that water leaving its plants is free of lead; if a home does have a lead service line, WSSC advises flushing longer before use. The service line map is at wsscwater.com/LCR-map. Emergencies: 301-206-4002.

Permits

WSSC ePermitting covers both counties, and only WSSC-registered master plumbers and gasfitters, or their proxies, can apply for plumbing and fuel gas permits. All gas work, such as a gas water heater or furnace replacement, and water or sewer service line repairs must be done by someone holding a WSSC license (Permit Services, 301-206-4003). Building permits go through Montgomery County's Department of Permitting Services in Wheaton, 240-777-0311.

Backflow assemblies

Testable assemblies must be tested every year and right after installation, repair or relocation. Only a journeyman or master plumber holding a WSSC license who is also a certified cross-connection technician can do it; that certification takes a 32-hour WSSC-approved course and is renewed every three years. Irrigation systems need their field test at spring start-up.

Gas

Washington Gas serves this area. If you smell gas, leave the house first, then call 911 and the Washington Gas Emergency Line at 844-WASHGAS (844-927-4427), option 1.

When you call

Give your village name and the problem. You will be connected with an independent local plumber who sets the price and timing with you.