Emergency Plumbing in Portland, OR

Who to call in Portland

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 Portland that is Portland Water Bureau. 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 Portland; when they can arrive depends on that company and the time of day.

Reporting a water emergency in Portland

• The Portland Water Bureau asks anyone who sees water running from streets or sidewalks to report a possible main break on its 24-hour emergency line at 503-823-4874. For ongoing water quality problems or loss of water service without notice, call the Water Quality Line at 503-823-7525, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. [3]
• The Portland Water Bureau says its crews respond to water main breaks 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and typically handle around 150 to 180 main breaks a year. Once notified, crews often arrive within an hour. If the Bureau must shut off water during repairs, crews place a notice on the customer's front door. [3]
• The Portland Water Bureau advises residents to locate their emergency shut-off valve before pipes burst. Most shut-off valves are where the water line enters the house: at the front near the hose connection, in the basement near the water heater, or in the garage. Anyone who cannot find their valve or reach a property manager can call the bureau's 24-hour emergency dispatch line at 503-823-4874. [4]
• According to the Portland Water Bureau, the bureau owns and maintains all pipes up to and including the water meter, and repairing broken pipes on the customer's side of the meter is the property owner's responsibility. The bureau also advises turning off the water heater and closing its dedicated shut-off valve on the cold-water inlet when a pipe breaks; leak adjustment questions go to Customer Service at 503-823-7770. [4]

Other common plumbing calls in Portland

• Sewer Line Repair: older homes often have clay laterals that roots from Portland's big street trees get into.
• Repiping: over 60% of homes predate 1980, and galvanized supply pipe is common in older houses.

Portland facts behind this page

• Bull Run water, Portland's main supply, is soft at about 7 to 11 ppm (roughly half a grain per gallon), while its backup groundwater supply is moderately hard at about 80 ppm (5 grains per gallon). [1]
• The median home in Portland was built in 1966. [2]
• About 62% of Portland's housing units were built before 1980, the era of galvanized steel supply pipe, cast iron drains and clay sewer laterals. [2]
• The Portland Water Bureau asks anyone who sees water running from streets or sidewalks to report a possible main break on its 24-hour emergency line at 503-823-4874. For ongoing water quality problems or loss of water service without notice, call the Water Quality Line at 503-823-7525, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. [3]
• The Portland Water Bureau says its crews respond to water main breaks 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and typically handle around 150 to 180 main breaks a year. Once notified, crews often arrive within an hour. If the Bureau must shut off water during repairs, crews place a notice on the customer's front door. [3]
• The Portland Water Bureau advises residents to locate their emergency shut-off valve before pipes burst. Most shut-off valves are where the water line enters the house: at the front near the hose connection, in the basement near the water heater, or in the garage. Anyone who cannot find their valve or reach a property manager can call the bureau's 24-hour emergency dispatch line at 503-823-4874. [4]
• According to the Portland Water Bureau, the bureau owns and maintains all pipes up to and including the water meter, and repairing broken pipes on the customer's side of the meter is the property owner's responsibility. The bureau also advises turning off the water heater and closing its dedicated shut-off valve on the cold-water inlet when a pipe breaks; leak adjustment questions go to Customer Service at 503-823-7770. [4]