Emergency Plumbing in Pittsburgh, PA

Who to call in Pittsburgh

Leaks on the street side of the water meter, a broken main or no water on the whole street are for the water utility: in Pittsburgh that is Pittsburgh Water. Check its website or your water bill for its emergency line.

Leaks, backups and failures on your side of the meter, inside the house or in your sewer lateral, are a plumber's job. Call us and we connect you with an independent, licensed plumbing company that handles emergency calls in Pittsburgh; when they can arrive depends on that company and the time of day.

Reporting a water emergency in Pittsburgh

• For an unexpected outage, Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority suggests checking its Service Outages page and map. If your location is not listed, call the 24/7 Emergency Dispatch line at 412-255-2423 and press 1 for all water or sewer emergencies; you can also send your address and a description by direct message on X or Facebook Messenger. [3]
• For Pittsburgh residential customers, Pittsburgh Water is responsible for the water service line from the main up to and including the curb box, usually in the sidewalk; the property owner is responsible from the curb box to the meter. The entire sewer lateral belongs to the property owner, while Pittsburgh Water maintains the sewer main and the wye connection. [4]
• Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority runs a 24/7 Emergency Dispatch at 412-255-2423 (press 1) for urgent water or sewer issues such as low or no water pressure, a suspected water main break, or a sewage backup. Non-emergency matters like billing questions go through the authority's online webform or customer service at the same number, press 5. [5]
• According to Pittsburgh Water, a residential water service line is the utility's responsibility from the main up to and including the curb box, which holds the shutoff valve and usually sits in the sidewalk. The stretch from the curb box to the water meter belongs to the property owner. The entire sewer lateral is the owner's responsibility, while Pittsburgh Water maintains the main and the wye joint. [4]

Other common plumbing calls in Pittsburgh

• Sewer Line Repair: old clay and cast iron laterals on hillside lots crack and shift.

Pittsburgh facts behind this page

• Pittsburgh Water treats Allegheny River water. It has replaced an average of about 1,500 lead service lines a year since 2016 and offers income-based help for replacing the private side. [1]
• The median home in Pittsburgh was built in 1944. [2]
• About 83% of Pittsburgh's housing units were built before 1980, the era of galvanized steel supply pipe, cast iron drains and clay sewer laterals. [2]
• For an unexpected outage, Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority suggests checking its Service Outages page and map. If your location is not listed, call the 24/7 Emergency Dispatch line at 412-255-2423 and press 1 for all water or sewer emergencies; you can also send your address and a description by direct message on X or Facebook Messenger. [3]
• For Pittsburgh residential customers, Pittsburgh Water is responsible for the water service line from the main up to and including the curb box, usually in the sidewalk; the property owner is responsible from the curb box to the meter. The entire sewer lateral belongs to the property owner, while Pittsburgh Water maintains the sewer main and the wye connection. [4]
• Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority runs a 24/7 Emergency Dispatch at 412-255-2423 (press 1) for urgent water or sewer issues such as low or no water pressure, a suspected water main break, or a sewage backup. Non-emergency matters like billing questions go through the authority's online webform or customer service at the same number, press 5. [5]
• According to Pittsburgh Water, a residential water service line is the utility's responsibility from the main up to and including the curb box, which holds the shutoff valve and usually sits in the sidewalk. The stretch from the curb box to the water meter belongs to the property owner. The entire sewer lateral is the owner's responsibility, while Pittsburgh Water maintains the main and the wye joint. [4]