Burst Pipe Repair in Riverdale, MD

Signs a pipe has burst

• Water spilling through a ceiling or streaming down a basement wall
• Faucets losing pressure all at once
• A pipe that froze overnight spraying once it warms
• A wet spot spreading on carpet near a bathroom, kitchen or laundry
• Rushing water heard in a wall when nothing is running

Riverdale's homes and utilities

The Riverdale mailing address covers the Town of Riverdale Park and nearby unincorporated areas such as Riverdale Heights. It's an older streetcar-suburb area along US 1, and the median home in Riverdale Park was built in 1957. Houses that age often have a mix of original and replaced piping, including galvanized steel or older copper that has thinned over decades. Those lines, especially on outside walls or above unheated crawlspaces, tend to fail during deep cold.

WSSC Water supplies water and sewer service. Part of the service line is WSSC's and part belongs to the customer, and WSSC asks owners planning to replace their portion to notify it. Its What's Your Pipe Type? program also helps customers identify and replace lead service lines on either portion. For a break in the street or at the meter, call WSSC's 24-hour Emergency Service Center at 301-206-4002. WSSC's tap testing shows Potomac plant water averaging about 140 mg/L hardness and Patuxent plant water about 64 mg/L.

What changes the cost

• Reaching the pipe. Exposed basement pipe is faster than plaster or finished drywall.
• Pipe condition. Corroded steel may need replacing back to a sound joint.
• Service line work. Repairs on your section of the line outside the house require digging and a plumber holding a WSSC license.
• More than one break. A deep freeze can crack the same run in two places.
• When you call. Late-night or holiday visits cost more.

After you call

You'll be connected with an independent plumber who serves Riverdale and Riverdale Park. Tell them the main is off, where the water is coming from and what the pipe looks like. They'll find the break, open as little as possible, replace the bad section and restore water while checking nearby joints. Plumbing permits come from WSSC Water, and building permits are a Prince George's County matter. If you smell gas, leave and call 911 and Washington Gas at 844-WASHGAS (927-4427), option 1, from outside.