Emergency Plumbing in Winston-Salem, NC

Who to call in Winston-Salem

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 Winston-Salem that is City of Winston-Salem. 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 Winston-Salem; when they can arrive depends on that company and the time of day.

Reporting a water emergency in Winston-Salem

• For an overflow, rupture, leak or sewer backup in Winston-Salem, call CityLink 311 or 336-727-8000 and Utilities Field Operations staff are dispatched. Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities is responsible for breaks in water and wastewater mains in the street; the business or property owner is responsible for breaks on private property. [3]
• Winston-Salem says you must call City Link for a water emergency or sewer backup and should not submit a request using the 311 online form for this kind of emergency. City Link can be reached at 336-727-8000, by text at 855-481-LINK, or by email at citylink@cityofws.org. [3]
• Winston-Salem's Utilities Department notes that a sewage-related odor in a neighborhood is usually caused by shifting weather, but can also signal a ruptured or clogged line. If it is an emergency, residents can report it by calling CityLink at 336-727-8000. CityLink is also reachable by dialing 311, texting (855) 481-5465, or emailing citylink@cityofws.org. [4]
• Winston-Salem Utilities says water meters are generally located in the front yard. Access to meter boxes is restricted to Utilities staff, licensed plumbers and utility contractors, and customers are not allowed to open them. The city's WaterSavvy smart meters contain a communication device that can easily be broken, and they can send notifications when water use increases. [4]

Other common plumbing calls in Winston-Salem

• Sewer Line Repair: older neighborhoods have clay laterals damaged by roots.
• Water Heater Replacement: homes from the 1980s–2000s are replacing heaters.

Winston-Salem facts behind this page

• Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities treats Yadkin River and Salem Lake water at three plants (Neilson, Swann and Thomas); hardness averaged about 18 ppm in 2024, which is soft. [1]
• The median home in Winston-Salem was built in 1984. [2]
• About 45% of Winston-Salem's housing units were built before 1980, the era of galvanized steel supply pipe, cast iron drains and clay sewer laterals. [2]
• For an overflow, rupture, leak or sewer backup in Winston-Salem, call CityLink 311 or 336-727-8000 and Utilities Field Operations staff are dispatched. Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities is responsible for breaks in water and wastewater mains in the street; the business or property owner is responsible for breaks on private property. [3]
• Winston-Salem says you must call City Link for a water emergency or sewer backup and should not submit a request using the 311 online form for this kind of emergency. City Link can be reached at 336-727-8000, by text at 855-481-LINK, or by email at citylink@cityofws.org. [3]
• Winston-Salem's Utilities Department notes that a sewage-related odor in a neighborhood is usually caused by shifting weather, but can also signal a ruptured or clogged line. If it is an emergency, residents can report it by calling CityLink at 336-727-8000. CityLink is also reachable by dialing 311, texting (855) 481-5465, or emailing citylink@cityofws.org. [4]
• Winston-Salem Utilities says water meters are generally located in the front yard. Access to meter boxes is restricted to Utilities staff, licensed plumbers and utility contractors, and customers are not allowed to open them. The city's WaterSavvy smart meters contain a communication device that can easily be broken, and they can send notifications when water use increases. [4]