Reston is a planned community served by Fairfax Water, so the typical home here has no well pump. Pressure trouble usually starts at a regulator, the owner's line from the meter or a Fairfax Water issue, while a handful of properties have booster or irrigation pumps. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Reston.
A planned community on public water
Reston grew from 1964 onward around village centers like Lake Anne, Hunters Woods and South Lakes, with a median build year of 1983. Homes were built to connect to Fairfax Water, which draws from the Potomac River and the Occoquan Reservoir. Any well pumping happens at the utility, not in a yard. Where pump equipment does exist, it is usually a booster in a taller building, a pump feeding lake-area irrigation, or a sump pump that a homeowner confuses with a supply pump.
What to do right now
- Check a few faucets on different floors to see whether the drop is everywhere or in one spot.
- Ask a neighbor whether their water is normal.
- Look at the main shutoff in the house and make sure it is fully open.
- If you have a booster pump or pressure tank, check its breaker and the tank gauge.
- If water is surfacing in the yard or street, call Fairfax Water.
| Symptom | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Weak flow at one fixture | Clogged aerator or cartridge |
| Weak flow everywhere, neighbors fine | Regulator, main valve or a leak on the owner's line |
| No water on the whole street | Utility main work or a break |
| Pump cycling on and off fast | Waterlogged pressure tank or a bad switch |
| Pump runs nonstop | Leak downstream or a worn pump |
Fairfax Water owns the meter, and the buried line from the meter to the main shutoff belongs to the homeowner. A leak along that run lowers pressure and can show up as a soggy patch of lawn. Fairfax Water's hardness varies by plant and season, roughly 70 to 185 mg/L, which can gradually stiffen a regulator.
Cost factors
- Repairing a pressure switch, gauge or tank versus replacing a pump
- Finding and fixing a leak on the owner's line from the meter
- Access in townhouse utility closets and finished basements
- Any permit Fairfax County requires for the work
- Whether the visit turns into a regulator replacement rather than pump work
A plumber who finds no pump at all will usually test static pressure at a hose bib first, which quickly shows whether the problem is the supply or the house.
Well Pump Repair questions in Reston
How do I know whether my house has its own well?
Why does the pump keep running when nothing is turned on?
Can mineral scale cause pressure problems that feel like a bad pump?
Who do I call when the problem is on the utility side?
More plumbing services in Reston
Well Pump Repair nearby
Helpful guides
Sources
Last updated: