Plumbing help for Glendale, CA
Emergency Plumber in Glendale, CA: Glendale Water and Power, the Sewer Main Crew and the Permit Portal
Glendale has its own water utility, its own sewer crew and an online permit system, which keeps most calls inside City offices. This page maps which office handles which problem and how permits work.
Glendale Water and Power handles street-side pressure problems
Glendale runs its own municipal utility, Glendale Water and Power, for both water and electricity. For a meter, pressure or service problem on the street side, the call goes to the utility, not to a private water company.
The utility publishes an annual water quality report, and we read the 2024 edition. It describes a supply that mixes imported water and groundwater, with recycled water for non-drinking uses. Read the latest edition before you buy a softener or filter, and hand it to the person sizing the equipment.
Parts of the edges may be served by other agencies. We could not confirm that, so check your bill if your address is near a city line.
Glendale sewer backup: City maintains mains, ask about the lateral
The City's Public Works Department says its Wastewater Maintenance Section maintains the sewer mains. The section can be reached at (818) 548-3950. The pages we read do not state who owns the lateral from the house to the main, so ask when you call.
| What you notice | Likely location | First call |
|---|---|---|
| One drain slow, others fine | The branch line in the house | A plumber |
| Every low drain backs up at once | The lateral or the main | A plumber with a camera |
| Sewage surfacing in the street | The City main | Wastewater Maintenance, (818) 548-3950 |
A camera tells you which of those you have, and the footage is what the City will want to see if the blockage is in the main. For stubborn clogs, jetting a main line clear explains the method, and repairing a failed sewer line covers the permanent fix.
Drains backing up in Glendale? Call to talk through what to check first.
Plumbing permits go through the City's online system
Glendale's Permit Services Center takes permit applications online. A first-time user creates an account and verifies an email address before applying. The Building and Safety office is at 633 East Broadway.
The City's permit types page lists plumbing permits for single-family and duplex, multi-family, commercial and mixed-use buildings. It lists water heater permits for multi-family and condominium buildings and does not mention a repipe. We could not confirm the single-family water heater rule, so ask before work starts.
- Ask the plumber whether your job needs a permit.
- Ask who creates the online account and submits.
- Get the permit number in writing before work begins.
- Ask when the inspection will take place.
A City permit report notes that plumbing can need its own permit alongside a building permit. If a remodel already has one permit, do not assume it covers the pipes.
Older Glendale houses and the pipes inside them
Many Glendale homes date from the early and mid twentieth century. Original supply lines in houses that age may be galvanized steel, and cast iron or clay drains are common. We have not inspected your street, so use this as a prompt to check.
- Test pressure at two fixtures, not one.
- Ask for camera footage of any drain a plumber says must be replaced.
- Ask for repair and replacement to be priced separately.
If supply pipes are the concern, replacing worn supply pipes covers the choices. For a leak behind a wall, see tracing a wet wall to its source.
Condos and multi-family buildings in Glendale
Glendale has many condominiums and apartment buildings, where the owners association or the building owner holds the shared risers and drains. A clog that affects several units is usually a building matter, and the manager should hear about it before you hire someone at your own cost.
The City permit types page lists water heater permits for multi-family and condominium buildings, so a heater swap in one of these buildings usually runs through a permit. Ask the manager who is responsible and whether the association has rules about contractors.
- Photograph any standing water and the date.
- Send the manager written notice.
- Keep receipts for anything you pay for in the meantime.
Reading a high water bill before you call anyone
A bill that jumps with no change in habits is worth a ten-minute test. Turn everything off, read the meter, wait fifteen minutes and read it again. A change means a leak somewhere on your side.
The most common hidden culprit is a toilet that runs on after the flush. Drop a few drops of food coloring in the tank and wait. If color reaches the bowl, the flapper is leaking. See fixing a toilet that keeps running for the repair.
Keeping a permit record
Keep the permit number, the inspection sign-off and the contractor license number with your house records. They help when you sell, when you claim insurance and when the next plumber needs to know exactly what was changed and when it was done.
Glendale from Alhambra, and how calls work
Glendale lies northwest of Alhambra. A call from Glendale reaches the same dispatch line as every Alhambra call, and the dispatcher confirms your address and availability before sending anyone.
Call (833) 571-0120. California requires a contractor license for jobs of $1,000 or more, labor and materials together, so check the plumber at cslb.ca.gov. Near the Los Angeles line, Atwater Village addresses can fall on either side of the border.
Glendale plumbing questions
Who provides water in Glendale?
Glendale Water and Power, the City's own utility, provides water and electricity. It publishes an annual water quality report.
Who maintains the sewer main in Glendale?
The City's Public Works Wastewater Maintenance Section maintains the sewer mains and can be reached at (818) 548-3950.
How do I get a plumbing permit in Glendale?
Through the Permit Services Center online system. A first-time user creates an account and verifies an email address.
Plumbing trouble in Glendale?
Tell us what failed and whether the problem is inside the house or at the street. You will hear what to check first and which City office to call about the public side.