Water is coming in and you are in Highland Park
This is urgent, and our phone line is open 24/7 for Highland Park, including nights, weekends and holidays. While you wait for a technician, shut the main water valve, switch off power to anything the water is near and move what you can off the floor.
If the water is rising from a floor drain or a toilet, the problem is probably the drain and not a supply pipe. Stop running water in the house and tell us that when you call. A gas smell means leave the building and call the gas utility or 911 first.
- Do not wade into a flooded basement if the furnace, panel or outlets are in the water.
- Take photos before you clean up, for your insurer.
Before we arrive
Shut off the main valve
Find the main near where the line enters the house, often in the basement by the meter, and turn it clockwise until it stops. Then open the lowest tap to drain the pipes.
Power off wet areas
Use the breaker for the basement or laundry area if you can reach it dry. If the panel itself is wet, stay away and call the electric utility.
Clear the area
Lift boxes, rugs and cardboard off the floor and unplug anything that sits low, such as a dehumidifier or freezer. Never touch electrical items while standing in water.
Call the 24/7 line
Call (732) 466-1098 and say where the water shows, what you already shut off and whether a drain is involved. Ask us about the price before work begins.
Standing water or a line that will not stop? Call now and we will tell you what to do while we get to you.
(732) 466-1098Which pipe belongs to whom
Utility Service Affiliates, Inc., a subsidiary of Middlesex Water Company, operates the Borough's water and wastewater system, and all of the Borough's water is purchased from Middlesex Water. That means a bill question or a main break in the street goes to that operator, while a leak inside your walls is a plumbing call to us.
The system runs about 38 miles of water main and 32 miles of sewer main, so most homes sit close to shared lines. If water is bubbling in the street, report that to the operator. If it is inside, shut your own valve and call us. For hardness or lead figures, ask your water utility for its annual water quality report.
New Jersey also has a lead service line law that took effect in July 2021, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection. It calls for all lead lines to be replaced by 2031, and water systems must notify customers. Ask your water operator what your line is made of.
Source: Middlesex Water, Utility Service Affiliates (Highland Park) page. Source: Middlesex Water, Utility Service Affiliates (Highland Park) page. NJDEP lead service line replacement law webinar, nj.gov/dep/watersupply/pdf/njdep-lslr-law-webinar-presentation.pdf
Backups, floor drains and the sewer main
The Borough's wastewater system has more than 650 sanitary manholes, and the sewer main under the street is owned by the system, not by you. A way to tell the difference is simple. If only one fixture is slow, the clog is likely in your own line. If the lowest drain and every toilet back up together, the blockage may be further out.
For a blockage on your side, we start with sewer line cleaning and can send a camera down the line if it keeps coming back. If the backup is in the street main, you will need the operator to act, and we can tell you what we saw.
Source: Middlesex Water, Utility Service Affiliates (Highland Park) page
What the river next door shows
Highland Park neighbors New Brunswick, where Route 18 was partly submerged by the Raritan River during Tropical Storm Ida in 2021 and a student tower basement flooded.
The useful lesson is general. If your basement has taken water once, plan before the next storm. Check the sump pit and discharge line, and look at basement waterproofing so water has a path out other than your floor.
Source: Daily Targum and News 12 reports on Ida flooding in New Brunswick, 2021
Where our Highland Park calls usually start
- Basement waterSeepage, a failed sump pump or a floor drain that backs up.
- Sewer and drain blockagesSlow tubs, gurgling toilets and kitchen lines that clog again within days.
- Supply leaksA wet ceiling, a hissing wall or a meter that spins with everything off. See water line repair when the leak is outside the house.
- Hot water failuresA tank that leaks or a unit that runs cold. The right repair depends on where the water is showing.
Who can do the work and when a permit applies
New Jersey allows plumbing work only by a master plumber or an authorized plumbing contractor. A licensed plumber must display the plumbing license on vans, invoices and advertising, so you can check it.
Replacing a water heater with one of like capacity is classed as minor work and needs a permit through the town, while a like-for-like faucet or toilet swap needs none. Ask the Highland Park building department what applies to your job.
Source: NJ Division of Consumer Affairs plumbing board FAQ and DCA code alert, 2018
What shapes the price
Homeowners policies often cover sudden pipe failure but not wear, so ask your insurer. Call (732) 466-1098 for a real number on your job.
Frequently asked questions
Highland Park has a single ZIP code, 08904, and we cover all of it. USPS lists New Brunswick as an acceptable city name for 08904, so mail may arrive with either name, and either way you can call us for the same service.
Yes. Dispatch answers 24/7 and we offer same-day appointments when available. Call and describe what is happening, and we will tell you what to shut off while the visit is arranged.
The Borough's water and sewer system is run by Utility Service Affiliates, a Middlesex Water subsidiary. Report street leaks to them. Leaks inside the property line, or past the shutoff, are ours.
If other drains and toilets back up at the same time, the blockage may be in the main. If just one fixture is slow, it is usually on your side. We can usually tell with a camera or a quick test.
Yes, at any hour. Call the dispatch line, say what is leaking and where, and follow the shutoff advice. Same-day wording applies when available.
No. Use the valve inside your house. The curb stop is part of the utility's equipment, so leave it alone and call the operator if the house valve will not close.
It depends on the job. In New Jersey a like-for-like faucet or toilet swap needs none, but a water heater replacement does. Ask the building department, and we will pull permits where required.
Yes. We also cover Edison and Piscataway, so a call from nearby is routed the same way.