Emergency Plumber in San Clemente, CA

Who do I call about water in the street or a sewer overflow?

That depends on where in San Clemente you live. The City of San Clemente Water Utility serves most of the city, Santa Margarita Water District provides water and wastewater service in Talega, and South Coast Water District covers a small part of north San Clemente. Your water bill shows which one you have. City customers can report a water leak or a sewer overflow on the City's utilities hotline at 949-366-1553, which is staffed at all hours. Trouble inside the house, such as a split pipe, a failed hose or a clogged drain line, is a job for a plumber.

Does the coast make emergencies more likely?

In some ways. Salt air near the ocean eats at outdoor hose bibs, valves and exposed copper faster than it would inland, and a corroded fitting can let go with little warning. The median San Clemente home was built in 1982, so the original shutoff valves, supply lines and water heaters in many houses are well past their prime. City water is also hard: the City's water quality report lists 293 mg/L (17 grains per gallon) for water from the Baker treatment plant and 236 mg/L (14 grains per gallon) for treated Metropolitan water. Scale at those levels wears on heaters and valves over the years. Winter storms are the other trigger, when heavy rain can overload drains and force a backup into a low fixture.

Who supplies gas here?

Natural gas in San Clemente comes from SoCalGas, even though SDG&E supplies the electricity. That difference matters in an emergency. If you smell gas near a water heater, range or furnace, leave without flipping switches, then from outside call 911 and SoCalGas at 1-800-427-2200. The electric company is not the one to call for a gas leak. Once the gas utility has made the line safe, a plumber can repair the piping or reconnect the appliance.

A note on permits and pricing

If an emergency fix turns into permitted work, such as a new water heater or rerouted pipe, the permit comes from the City's Community Development Building Division. The plumber can stop the immediate leak first and take care of the permit as part of the follow-up. After-hours rates usually run higher, so ask about pricing before the visit.