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A Silver Spring homeowner came back from vacation to a nightmare: their main water service line had burst sometime while they were away, and water was pouring out of the driveway when they pulled up. WSSC had already been called and had done the emergency shut-off at the street, but the actual replacement of the failed line wasn't WSSC's job. The homeowner needed a licensed plumber who could replace the entire water main, coordinate the WSSC inspection, and restore the home to service quickly. They called Tim Whistler Plumbing.
The line ran from the city main at the street, under the front yard, beneath several brick walls and walkways, and into the home through the foundation. Replacing it meant trenching the full length without tearing up the brick hardscaping any more than absolutely necessary. The home's main water shutoff valve was also in a poor location, tucked behind the furnace where it was hard to reach in an emergency, so we recommended relocating it to a more accessible spot as part of the same job. And per WSSC code, the new line's penetration through the foundation had to be sealed to spec, and the work had to pass a WSSC inspector before water could be turned back on permanently.
We trenched the full length of the line from the foundation out to the WSSC connection at the street, routing carefully around and under the brick walls and walkways to keep the hardscape intact. The old failed line was removed and replaced with new service-grade water main piping. The main shutoff valve was relocated from behind the furnace to a clean, accessible spot near the foundation entry, so the next time something needs to be shut off in a hurry there's no scrambling. We sealed the foundation penetration to current WSSC code, completed our pressure testing, and scheduled the WSSC inspection. Once the inspector certified the new line, we restored the trench, repaired the hardscape, and cleaned up the yard.
WSSC handles the public side of the water main at the street. Everything from the connection point onto your property is the homeowner's responsibility, and it needs to be done by a licensed plumber to current code. When something fails on your side, every hour without water counts.
Water was back on by the end of day two, and the WSSC inspection was completed and certified on day three. The homeowner now has a brand new water main from the street to the foundation, a relocated shutoff valve in a sensible location, and the foundation properly sealed. The brick walls and walkways came through intact, and the yard was restored. Total project time: 3 days from first call to fully certified.
If your water main fails or your shutoff valve isn't accessible, Tim Whistler Plumbing handles water service replacements and emergency repairs across Silver Spring, Bethesda, Kensington, Washington DC, and the rest of the DMV. Call 1-866-477-6190 for a quote or emergency response. We work directly with WSSC for permitted main line work and we're available 24/7 for water emergencies.
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