Do these four things first
- Shut off the water. Use the main valve where the line enters the house, or the curb valve in the meter box at the street. Where to find it.
- Make the water heater safe. Electric: switch off its breaker. Gas: turn the control knob to "Pilot" or "Off". A tank shouldn't heat while the water is off or draining.
- Smell gas? Leave first. Don't use light switches or phones inside. Call 911 from outside, then your gas company: Piedmont Natural Gas for most of the county, or Greer CPW if it supplies your gas.
- Protect what you can. Move electronics and papers, put down towels, and take photos and video before cleaning up.
Call now, today, or can it wait?
Use this to decide how urgent your problem is. After-hours visits cost more, so knowing whether you can wait until morning saves money.
| What's happening | How urgent | What to do next |
|---|---|---|
| Water spraying or pouring from a pipe | Now | Shut off the main, then call |
| Water coming through a ceiling or wall | Now | Shut off the main; switch off that room's lights at the breaker if you can reach it safely; call |
| Sewage backing up into tubs, showers or floor drains | Now | Stop using all water, keep people away from it, call (see who's responsible) |
| Gas smell near the water heater or anywhere | Now: 911 first | Leave the house, call 911, then the gas company. A plumber comes after the gas is safe |
| Water heater leaking from the tank | Today | Shut its cold-water valve and power or gas; set a pan or towels; call to book a replacement |
| No water anywhere in the house | Check first | Ask neighbors and check for utility alerts (decision tree below) |
| Frozen pipe, no leak yet | Today | Open the faucet, warm the pipe gently (how); call if you can't reach it |
| Only toilet clogged, another works | Can wait | Use the other toilet; plunge; book a daytime visit if it won't clear |
| Only toilet clogged, house has one | Today | Plunge first; call if it won't clear |
| No hot water, no leak | Can wait | Check the breaker or pilot (quick checks); book a daytime visit |
| Slow drain in one sink or tub | Can wait | Book a weekday visit |
| Dripping faucet or running toilet | Can wait | Close the fixture's shut-off valve under it; book a weekday visit |
Emergency? Water off? Call now
No water at all: the utility, or your pipe?
- Ask a neighbor or check outside. If they have no water either, it's almost certainly a utility problem. Call Greenville Water, (864) 241-6000 (around-the-clock line), or Greer CPW if that's your utility.
- Neighbors have water, you don't? Check that your main valve and the curb valve aren't closed (sometimes after work at the meter).
- In freezing weather, a frozen service line or pipe is the likely cause. See frozen pipes.
- Water bubbling up in the yard between the meter and the house points to a broken service line. That's a plumber's job, and the water should be shut off at the curb.
- On a well (more common north of Travelers Rest and in rural areas): check the well pump's breaker, especially after a power outage or storm. If the breaker is on and there's still no water, call a plumber who services well pumps.
Sewage backing up: who's responsible?
Sewage has two owners. The public main in the street belongs to the sewer utility: the City of Greenville inside city limits, MetroConnects in much of the unincorporated county, Taylors and Travelers Rest, or your city system in Mauldin, Simpsonville, Greer and Fountain Inn. The private lateral, the pipe from your house to the main, belongs to the property owner. Under MetroConnects' 2023 lateral policy, owners maintain it out to the edge of MetroConnects' easement or the right of way, including the connection there.
If sewage is coming out of a manhole or neighbors have the same problem, call the utility first (MetroConnects: (864) 277-4442). If it's only your house, the blockage is probably in your private lateral, but MetroConnects customers should still call MetroConnects first: its policy asks owners to, and calling a plumber first can cost you reimbursement if the problem turns out to be on its side. If it says its side is clear, call a plumber. See who owns which part of the line. Either way, stop running water, keep children and pets away, and wear gloves if you have to touch anything. The Taylors sewer section explains the lateral rule with a photo of a cleanout, and our sewer backup guide covers the first hour and cleanup.
Burst pipe?
Shut off the main, turn off the water heater and drain the lines. Our burst pipe guide has a shut-off diagram, how to tell whose side the break is on, repair costs, and what insurers want to see.
What an emergency call costs
Nights, weekends and holidays usually cost more than a weekday visit. National cost guides put the after-hours premium at about 1.5–3 times the daytime rate, and many companies also charge a trip or diagnostic fee (about $45–$89 in Greenville-area listings). Ask both numbers on the phone before anyone drives out. For a simple burst-pipe repair, Greenville Water says costs start around $400. More job prices are in our cost guide.
Nights, weekends and holidays: what to expect
- The line is open 24/7. Calls after hours, on weekends and on holidays are routed to participating companies that take them; fewer companies are on at night, so it can take longer to connect.
- During a regional event (a hard freeze or a big storm), every plumber gets busy at once. After the December 2022 freeze, Greenville Water logged 290 emergency service orders inside city limits in four days. Stopping the water yourself buys time.
- If your problem can wait (see the table), a weekday morning visit is usually faster to book and cheaper.
While you wait for the plumber
- Keep the main shut off. If you need water, fill pots before shutting it, or buy bottled water.
- Keep the water heater off until water is restored and the tank has refilled.
- Mop and run fans and a dehumidifier. Open cabinets and pull up wet rugs.
- Write down when it started and what you did. The plumber and your insurer will ask.
- Find the shut-off for the toilet or fixture involved, so you can restore water to the rest of the house if the plumber says it's safe.
- Have your ZIP code, a description, and your water bill (for the account and meter info) ready.
Ready for a plumber?
Emergency plumbing questions
What counts as a plumbing emergency?
Anything that's causing damage right now or threatens health or safety: water you can't stop, water in ceilings or walls, sewage backing up into the house, a gas smell, or no water in a freeze. A slow drain or dripping faucet is not an emergency.
Can it wait until Monday?
If you can stop the water at a fixture valve or the main and nothing is leaking, often yes, and you'll avoid after-hours rates. If you have only one toilet that won't clear, no water in the house, or sewage in a drain, don't wait.
The whole house has no water. Is that the utility or a plumber?
Check with a neighbor first. If they're out too, call the utility (Greenville Water: (864) 241-6000). If only your house is out, check your main and curb valves, consider a frozen line in cold weather, then call a plumber.
I smell gas. Who do I call?
Leave the house first, without using switches or phones inside. Call 911 from outside, then your gas company: Piedmont Natural Gas for most of Greenville County, or Greer CPW if it supplies your gas.
Do plumbers fix gas leaks?
Licensed plumbers repair and install gas lines and appliance connections once the gas company has made the situation safe. The gas company handles the emergency itself and the lines up to the meter.
How much more do emergency plumbing calls cost?
National guides put after-hours premiums at about 1.5–3 times the daytime rate, plus any trip fee. Ask for both on the phone before the visit.
What should I do while I wait for the plumber?
Keep the water off, keep the water heater off, dry what you can, take photos and video, and write down when the problem started. Have your ZIP code and a description ready for the plumber.
Will insurance cover water damage from a plumbing emergency?
Many homeowners policies cover sudden, accidental water damage, but not slow leaks or neglect. Document everything before cleanup and call your agent. Our burst pipe guide lists what to save.
Sources
- Greenville Water: emergency line, burst-pipe repair note and freeze guidance (2024–2026). greenvillewater.com
- MetroConnects: "Inspecting Lines and Capping Cleanouts" (Feb 2023) and emergency contact. metroconnects.org
- Post and Courier: December 2022 freeze coverage (290 emergency service orders inside City of Greenville limits).
- National cost guides (Angi, HomeAdvisor), 2026: after-hours premiums and trip fees; Greenville-area listings for local trip fees.
Page history
October 2026: first published.