Sterling is unincorporated Loudoun County within Loudoun Water's public water and sewer service area, so the typical house here has no well pump. It is also older than most of Loudoun, which means worn regulators, valves and lines cause many pressure complaints. For pump equipment or a pressure problem, call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Sterling.
Signs to sort out first
- A pressure tank in the basement whose gauge falls and stays low
- A pump that starts and stops every few seconds
- Pressure that slowly weakened over a year or two (often a regulator or valve)
- Weak flow at a single fixture (usually the fixture itself)
- A sump pump that hums but moves no water during a storm
Only the first two describe a supply pump. The others are what most Sterling callers actually run into.
Local conditions in Sterling
Sterling began with the early-1960s Sterling Park development on former farmland next to what became Dulles International Airport. About 43 percent of homes in ZIP 20164 were built before 1980, far more than in newer parts of the county. Loudoun Water supplies them from its Central System, which draws mainly on the Potomac River, with Goose Creek and its reservoirs used as needed, treated at Loudoun Water's Trap Rock facility and at Fairfax Water's Corbalis plant. The Central System uses chloramine disinfection.
Because the water arrives pressurized from the utility, the parts most likely to fail in an older Sterling house are the pressure regulator, the main shutoff valve and the line between the meter and the house. Pump equipment, where it exists, is usually an irrigation pump, a booster, or the sump pumps found in many basements near Claude Moore Park, Algonkian Regional Park and along Route 7 and Route 28.
What affects the cost
- Diagnosis first. Many visits end with a regulator or valve replacement rather than any pump work.
- Pump type. A sump or irrigation pump is quicker to swap than a pump down a well casing.
- Line repairs. A leak on the buried line from the meter may need excavation.
- Permits. Loudoun County Building and Development handles trade permits as sub-records of a building permit.
What happens when you call
You are connected with an independent plumber who serves Sterling. Tell them what pump or tank you have, if any, and whether the problem is sudden or gradual. If water is out across the street or a main appears broken, Loudoun Water's after-hours emergency line is 571-291-7878, and its customer relations line is 571-291-7880 during business hours.
Well Pump Repair questions in Sterling
Pressure dropped at every faucet. Is that a pump failure?
Who do I call when the problem is on the utility side?
Is a sump pump or sewage ejector the same job as a well pump?
Should an aging well pump be repaired or replaced?
More plumbing services in Sterling
Well Pump Repair nearby
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