Call (207) 419-2600, describe what's wrong, and we'll connect you with a plumber covering Washington Township. Sump pumps, sprinklers and water heaters drive most problems, and the township permits more of that equipment than many expect.
1990s subdivisions and older homes on the mile roads
The median home in the township was built in 1995, and only about one in ten predates 1960. Close to 70 percent of homes are single-family detached houses, and about 6 percent are mobile homes. Most families own their homes, which means the person calling us usually owns the sump pit and the water heater too.
Newer houses tend to have copper or PEX supply lines and PVC drains. Those hold up well; the trouble comes from the equipment attached to them. A sump pump in a poured basement does its job for years and then sticks on a spring night. An irrigation backflow assembly freezes in October when nobody blew out the lines. A first replacement water heater sits in a tight corner where the original went.
The older rural homes are a different job. If your house is on a private well, low pressure can come from the pressure tank or switch, and hardness and iron depend on your well rather than a water report. Sewered parts of the township drain to the county's Macomb Interceptor Drain Drainage District. Public water didn't reach the township until the late 1970s, which is why the township says it has no lead service lines.
Sump pit or sprinkler trouble north of Hall Road? Call (207) 419-2600
- Your call goes to an independent local plumbing company that does the work.
Township permits for backup sump pumps and sprinklers
The township's Building Department issues plumbing permits for lawn irrigation, fire sprinklers and backup sump pumps connected to public water. Public Works handles water connections and the second meter that irrigation uses. Behind both sits the township's cross-connection program, which protects the public water system from anything that could siphon back into it.
A water-powered backup sump pump is the example people miss. It runs on house water pressure, so it needs a backflow preventer, and the township treats it as permitted plumbing. A battery backup avoids that question. Our article on a sump pump that runs constantly helps you judge whether the primary pump needs help first.
Services that match north Macomb County homes
These six services line up with how the township is built and permitted, from its sump pits to its sprinkler meters.
Water heater installation
With a median build year of 1995, many homes here are on a replacement water heater, and each swap goes through the township's plumbing permit.
Water heater installation: Read more
Sump pump repair and installation
Washington Township issues plumbing permits for backup sump pumps connected to public water, so a water-powered backup in a subdivision basement is permitted work that also needs backflow protection.
Sump pump repair and installation: Read more
Backflow testing
Lawn irrigation here needs a township permit and a second meter from Public Works, and the township runs a cross-connection program that covers the backflow assembly on every sprinkler system.
Backflow testing: Read more
Water softeners and filtration
Subdivision homes on township water and older rural homes on private wells need different treatment, and on a well the hardness and iron depend on that well rather than a township water report.
Water softeners and filtration: Read more
Frozen pipe repair
Sprinkler backflow assemblies and hose bibs on Washington Township's big lots split when nobody drains them before the first hard freeze, usually in October or November.
Frozen pipe repair: Read more
Main water line repair
Public water only reached Washington Township in the late 1970s, so service lines are copper or plastic rather than lead, but deep lots mean long runs where a leak can surface far from the house.
Main water line repair: Read more
How a visit works on a large lot or a private well property
Lots out here can run deep, and the parts a plumber needs may sit far from the driveway. When you call, tell us where the well head, the cleanout or the sprinkler valve box is, and whether the house runs on a private well or township water. We pass that along so the plumber you're connected with isn't hunting across the yard.
For a backup sump or sprinkler job, ask the plumber who will pull the township permit. On site they find the cause, tell you what fixing it involves and what affects the price, and wait for your yes. They finish by testing the repair and cleaning up.
Near Stony Creek Metropark and the Romeo line
Washington Township runs from the Oakland County line on the west to Ray Township on the east, with Shelby Township to the south. Most of Stony Creek Metropark lies inside the township, and the village of Romeo reaches into the northeast corner. Most addresses carry ZIP 48094 or 48095, with small pieces in 48065 and 48306.
Washington Township plumbing questions
Does Washington Township require a permit for a backup sump pump?
Yes, for a water-powered backup tied to public water. The Building Department lists backup sump pumps connected to public water among the work that needs a plumbing permit. A water-powered unit uses house water pressure to lift water out of the pit, which makes it a cross-connection that needs backflow protection. A battery backup has no connection to the water supply, so ask which type fits your basement when you call.
Who handles a new irrigation meter or water connection?
Public Works handles water connections and the second meter for lawn irrigation, and the Building Department issues the plumbing permit for the sprinkler system itself. Under Michigan rules, a testable backflow assembly has to be tested by someone with ASSE 5110 certification who is also a licensed master or journey plumber, or an apprentice under one.
Can a homeowner pull a plumbing permit in Washington Township?
Yes, for work on the single-family home they live in. Michigan law gives homeowners that option; everyone else needs a licensed plumbing contractor to pull it. The township's Building Department issues the permit and the inspection follows either way, whether the job is a water heater, a backup sump or a new sprinkler line.
