Your pipes, from the street main to the kitchen tap
2,259
water main breaks and leaks in FY25
WSSC Water pipes logged 2,259 breaks and leaks in FY25, about 42% of its mains are more than 50 years old, and your own pipe starts at the property line.
Updated
Every number in this section
- 644Main breaks by winterbreaks and leaks in January 2025, the peak of that winter
- 42%How old the mains areof water mains more than 50 years old in 2025
- Property lineWho owns which pipewhere WSSC Water's responsibility ends and yours begins
- 97.3%Lead service line inventoryof inventory confirmed non-lead at April 30, 2025
- 1 minuteBoil water and essential-use noticesat a rolling boil, then cool, during an advisory
- Inside: yoursFrozen pipes and metersinside pipes and meters are the owner's; outside meters, the utility's
- WSSC licenseHiring a licensed plumberwhat the utility requires of plumbers and gasfitters in the two counties
Seven pages sit in this section. Each opens with a table: find your row, then read what to do with it.
- Main breaks by winter: 644 breaks and leaks in January 2025, the worst month of a 1,496 winter.
- How old the mains are: about 42% are over 50 years old, with 32 or 35 miles budgeted for replacement in FY27, depending on the document.
- Who owns which pipe: the property line is the split. The street side is the utility’s.
- Lead service line inventory: 97.3% confirmed non-lead at April 30, 2025, with 11,512 lines unknown on one or both sides at that date.
- Boil water and essential-use notices: one minute at a rolling boil, then cool, and the steps for after the notice lifts.
- Frozen pipes and meters: a 500 gal/day leak adds $1,291.28 to a 90-day bill, our arithmetic.
- Hiring a licensed plumber: 7,500 hours to reach journeyman, and which jobs need which license.
Water running inside the house right now? Close your house valve first, then read the rest. The valve at the street belongs to the utility.
This data desk is independent of WSSC Water and is not a plumbing contractor. Our sums are labeled, and how we check explains them.