West Columbia, SC · Lexington County

High water bill, backed-up line or burst pipe? Emergency plumber in West Columbia, SC

West Columbia runs its own water and sewer department, so a leak or a backup raises a first question: is the problem on the city's side of the meter or on yours? Getting that right saves a wasted visit.

Call us, give your address and say what is happening. One of our plumbers will tell you the first step.

Call (833) 571-0120 All areas we serve

Exposed supply and drain lines running between basement joists — Basement plumbing is often visible from below, which makes inspection easier than it is behind finished walls.

West Columbia on the map: a city with its own water and sewer office

West Columbia is a city in Lexington County. Its website lists the Water & Sewer department at 200 N. 12th Street, ZIP 29169. When you call, give your street and the nearest cross road so we can place the house.

Other places we work are listed on our towns and neighborhoods list.

Which side of the water meter is the problem on?

The City of West Columbia lists a Water & Sewer department, and its customer service line is (803) 791-1880. Water that escapes before the meter is the City's concern. Water that escapes after it, in your yard line, under the house or inside a wall, is yours.

How to tell a City-side water problem from a private one in West Columbia
What you see	Where it likely is	Who to call
Water bubbling up at the street side of the meter	The City's service line	The City, at (803) 791-1880.
Wet ground between the meter and the house	Your service line	A plumber.
A running meter with every fixture off	Somewhere on your side	A plumber, who will trace the leak.
No water at all, whole street	A City interruption or advisory	The City's alerts page and phone line.

If water is pouring and you cannot tell whose it is, shut your main valve and call the City and us. A plumber can say quickly whether the break is on your side.

Do not dig to find the line yourself. Call 811 first, because buried utilities cross many residential yards, and a locate request costs nothing in time compared with a struck line. SC811 explains the request process, and the plumber will tell you where the water line is likely to run once the break is confirmed.

Use the City's usage alerts to find a leak

In 2025 the City announced changes to its water billing system. Customers can set daily or monthly usage thresholds and receive email alerts when use spikes, and a vacation mode lets you watch usage while away. For a hidden leak, that is a useful tool.

Set a daily threshold slightly above your normal day.
Check the alert after a quiet night, when nobody should be using water.
Use vacation mode when the house is empty.
Write down the date and amount of any spike for your plumber.

An alert tells you water is being used. It does not tell you where. Tracing that is the job of finding a hidden leak, and the record of when the spike began helps.

A backed-up line: the City's sewer or your private line?

If one fixture is slow, it is likely your own line. If several fixtures back up, or a tub or floor drain rises when you flush, ask whether the City's main is involved. A neighbor with the same problem is another clue.

Old black cast iron drain pipe running under wood subfloor boards with a hand reaching in — In an older house the drain under the floor is often cast iron, which is why the private-side pipe gets checked before anyone assumes the problem is in the City main.

Run a different fixture and watch whether other drains bubble.
Look at the lowest drain in the house.
Call the City's Water & Sewer line at (803) 791-1880 to ask about its main.
Call us to clear or camera the private line if the City says it is clear.

A clear City main with a backed-up house means the blockage is private, and clearing the house drain comes first. A camera inspection of the private line is described under sewer line repair if backups recur.

Replacement pipe laid in an open dirt trench — A backup can sit in the private line serving the house rather than the City main, and the private line is the part a homeowner repairs.

Who issues the plumbing permit in West Columbia?

The City of West Columbia's website lists Building Permits under Building, Planning and Zoning. It does not say who issues plumbing permits or how to reach that office, so we do not state a rule. West Columbia is in Lexington County, whose rules require a permit to install or replace plumbing systems and exempt ordinary repairs.

The safe step is to ask your plumber who pulls the permit and to confirm with the City if the job replaces a water heater or changes piping. A permit in your own name makes you responsible for deficient work, so ask the contractor to pull it.

No hot water: repair or replace

A heater that quit may need only a part. One that leaks from the body needs replacing. See water heater repair choices and replacement and permits for how to decide.

A gas smell means leaving the house and calling the gas utility or 911 from outside.

Before the heater is replaced, ask what size the new unit should be for your household, whether the old flue can be reused and whether the shutoff valves still turn. Those three answers are where most replacement quotes differ, and a plumber who volunteers them is worth more than a bare number.

Which West Columbia plumbing problems cannot wait

Call now

Water flowing that you cannot stop
Sewage coming up a drain
Water through a ceiling
A gas smell

Can wait for a scheduled visit

A slow single drain
A faucet that drips
A toilet that runs
Hot water that is lukewarm

Find the main shutoff before you need it. When in doubt, call and we will walk you through it.

What to have ready when you call from West Columbia

Your address and the nearest cross street.
What is happening and when it started.
If you have checked the meter.
Whether a City alert or advisory is active on your street.
Which fixtures are affected.

That is enough for one of our plumbers to give you a first step. Cost factors for plumbing jobs explains what shapes a quote, and answers to common questions covers the call itself.

Plumbing trouble in West Columbia?

Call us, give your address and tell us what is happening. One of our plumbers will tell you what to do first.

Call (833) 571-0120