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Add as a preferred source on GoogleA plumbing emergency is any leak, backup or failure that is damaging your property, threatens health, or leaves you without water or a working toilet. Before the plumber arrives, stop the water at the fixture or main shutoff, keep people away from sewage and wet electrical outlets, stop using drains, and photograph the damage for insurance.
Most plumbing problems can wait until morning. A few cannot, and the test is simple: is water or sewage still going where it should not?
This guide helps El Paso homeowners and property managers sort a true plumbing emergency from an inconvenience, take the right first steps, and know which calls belong to a plumber, to El Paso Water, or to the gas company.
What’s in this guide
- The short answer: water, sewage, gas or no service
- Plumbing emergency or can it wait?
- What to do in the first ten minutes
- Know your shutoffs before you need them
- Sewage backup: plumber or El Paso Water?
- If you smell gas, the plumber is not your first call
- Hidden leaks and what emergency calls cost
- What to do next
- Questions El Paso homeowners ask about plumbing emergencies
- Keep reading
The short answer: water, sewage, gas or no service
Treat it as an emergency if any of these are true: water is spraying or pooling and you cannot stop it at the fixture, sewage is coming up through a floor drain, tub or toilet, you smell gas, or the building has no water or no working toilet. For a business, add anything that forces you to close or puts customers near sewage.
A slow drain, a dripping faucet or a running toilet is annoying but rarely urgent. You can usually shut a single fixture off and book regular plumbing service during business hours.
Plumbing emergency or can it wait?
| What you see | Urgency | First move |
|---|---|---|
| Burst or spraying pipe | Emergency | Close the main shutoff now |
| Sewage backing up indoors | Emergency | Stop all water use; keep people and pets away |
| Gas smell near a water heater | Emergency, gas company first | Leave the building, then call 911 and the gas utility |
| Water heater leaking from the tank | Urgent | Close the cold supply valve and turn off power or gas |
| No water in the whole house | Urgent | Check with neighbors and El Paso Water before calling a plumber |
| One slow or clogged drain | Can usually wait | Stop using that fixture and book a visit |
| Dripping faucet or running toilet | Can wait | Close the fixture’s supply valve |
What to do in the first ten minutes
That order matters. Ready.gov’s flood guidance is blunt: “Do not touch electrical equipment if it is wet or if you are standing in water.” A leak from a ceiling light fixture or near a panel is a job for the breaker first and the mop second.
Know your shutoffs before you need them
Every sink, toilet and water heater should have its own supply valve. The main house shutoff is often where the line enters the home, and many El Paso houses also rely on the valve at the meter box near the curb.
El Paso Water’s customer rights and responsibilities page puts the water line from the meter into the property on the customer. Its leak program even suggests turning off the valve at the meter as a temporary measure when you find a leak. Some meter valves need a meter key, a cheap tool worth buying before you need it.
Do this today
Walk the house and find every shutoff, including the main. Turn each one off and back on so you know it works, and show everyone in the household where the main is.
Plumbing Service in El Paso
Want a straight answer about your pipes?
Every U.T. Trenchless job starts with a camera inspection and a photo report, so you see the problem before you decide on a fix. Licensed Master Plumber Ubaldo Torres leads the work.
Sewage backup: plumber or El Paso Water?
El Paso Water maintains the public sewer main. The customer is responsible for the sewer service line from the tap at the main into the property, so a backup caused by roots, grease or a broken pipe in your lateral is a private repair. Our guide on who is responsible for the sewer line in El Paso covers that boundary in detail.
A quick test helps. If only your home is backing up, especially at the lowest drain, the problem is likely in your line. If neighbors have the same problem or sewage is overflowing in the street, call El Paso Water at 915.594.5500 and press option 6. The utility says its emergency lines are staffed 7 a.m. to midnight, with an online form after hours and crews available around the clock.
Sewage is a health hazard
Keep children and pets out of the area. The CDC advises rubber boots and gloves for cleanup, washing hands with soap and water, and throwing out porous items like rugs and drywall that cannot be disinfected.
A backup that keeps coming back is a symptom, not the disease. Once the line is flowing, sewer cleaning followed by a camera inspection shows whether you are dealing with a clog, roots or a failing pipe. If you have noticed gurgling or several slow drains, read the signs of a main sewer line clog.
If you smell gas, the plumber is not your first call
A rotten egg smell near a water heater, furnace or stove means leave now. Texas Gas Service tells customers not to flip light switches, use phones or start a car nearby, and to call 911 and the utility at 800.959.5325 from a safe location. Once the utility has made the area safe, a licensed plumber can repair gas piping or the appliance connection.
Hidden leaks and what emergency calls cost
Not every emergency sprays. A slab leak can run for weeks before you see a wet spot or a high bill.
HomeAdvisor’s national data also puts burst pipe repairs anywhere from $200 to $3,000. Those are national ranges; the price of a sewer or drain emergency in El Paso depends on access and what the camera finds once the line is open. Calling during business hours, when it is safe to wait, is the simplest way to save.
What to do next
- Stop the water and make the area safe before anything else.
- Decide who to call: a plumber for your pipes, El Paso Water for street problems, the gas utility for a gas smell.
- Photograph everything before cleanup begins.
- Hire a licensed company; our guide on how to choose a licensed plumber in El Paso shows what to check.
- After the repair, ask for photos or camera footage showing the cause.
U.T. Trenchless provides emergency service for sewer backups, collapsed or blocked lines, and time sensitive commercial problems across El Paso, Horizon City, Socorro and Las Cruces. Reach our team or call 915.858.0166.
Questions El Paso homeowners ask about plumbing emergencies
Is a clogged toilet a plumbing emergency?
Usually not, if you have another working toilet. Stop flushing, try a plunger, and book a visit. It becomes urgent when it is the only toilet, or when water rises in the tub or shower as you flush. That pattern points to a main line blockage, not a toilet problem.
Should I turn off my water heater during a leak?
If the leak is at the water heater, yes. Close the cold water supply valve on top, then turn off the power at the breaker for an electric unit or set a gas unit’s control to off or pilot. If the leak is elsewhere and you close the main, turning the heater off protects it from running empty.
Does homeowners insurance cover a burst pipe?
Many policies cover sudden and accidental water damage from a burst pipe, but not damage from a slow leak or the cost of repairing the failed pipe itself. Policies vary, so read yours and photograph the damage before cleanup.
Can I use a drain cleaner during a sewer backup?
No. If sewage is coming up, the blockage is usually past the reach of any chemical, and the product ends up in the water you or the plumber must handle. Stop using water and call a professional who can clear the line mechanically and inspect it.
How do I know if a leak is inside my walls or slab?
Turn off every fixture and watch the meter. EPA suggests reading it before and after two hours of no water use; any change points to a leak. Warm spots on the floor or a hissing sound are other clues.
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Keep reading
Sources
- Report an Emergency, El Paso Water.
- Customer Rights and Responsibilities, El Paso Water.
- Leak Protection Program, El Paso Water.
- When You Smell Gas, Texas Gas Service.
- Floods, Ready.gov.
- Floods safety guidance, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Fix a Leak Week, U.S. EPA WaterSense.
- How Much Does a Plumber Cost?, HomeAdvisor.