Emergency plumbing in a dense city.
Passaic has about 70,500 residents on 3.2 square miles, which is a lot of people in a small area. Multi family buildings dominate, from older walk ups to towers, and the Passaic River forms its eastern border, across from Garfield, Wallington and Rutherford.
In a building with several units, one leak or backup can affect everyone. We ask who is affected, where the water is coming from and who controls the shutoff, so we can stop the problem quickly without turning off more than needed. According to the Passaic Valley Water Commission, the commission is owned by Paterson, Clifton and Passaic and has been removing lead service lines across its service area.
What we see in Passaic buildings.
Stack backups.
A shared drain stack clogs, and the lowest unit takes the water. See sewer line cleaning.
Ceiling leaks.
A pipe or fixture upstairs leaks into the unit below. See leak detection.
Boiler and heat trouble.
Older buildings often rely on central boilers. See boiler repair.
Water heater failures.
Shared and individual heaters fail in cold weather. See replacement.
Commercial lines.
Restaurants and shops need fast backup response. See commercial plumbing.
Burst pipes.
Winter freezes split supply lines. See burst pipe repair.
When to call right now in Passaic.
- Water is coming through a ceiling or running down a wall.
- Sewage is rising in a tub, shower or floor drain.
- There is no heat or hot water across a building.
- A burst pipe cannot be isolated with a fixture valve.
- A toilet or sink overflows and will not stop.
Before We Arrive.
Find the building shutoff.
Ask the super or landlord for the main, and tell the dispatcher if you cannot reach it.
Warn neighbors below.
A quick knock can let them move belongings from a wet ceiling.
Open the way.
Clear hallways and stairs, and make sure someone can let the technician into the problem unit.
Document it.
Photograph the leak and any damage before cleanup.
Water, lead and the Passaic Valley Water Commission.
The Passaic Valley Water Commission is owned by the cities of Paterson, Clifton and Passaic, and it serves the area. PVWC reported completing a lead service line replacement program, with nearly 5,000 lines removed across its service area. If your building is older, ask the landlord or PVWC about the status of your line.
Lead can also come from household plumbing inside the building. A tenant or owner who is concerned can run the cold tap for a minute after the water has sat, and ask about testing. Call us if you want to replace old fixtures or valves.
Dispatch across the river.
Call.
Give us the address, the unit and what is happening.
Technician assigned.
The nearest free technician is sent from Garfield.
Price first.
You hear a clear price before work.
Repair.
We fix the problem, test it and tell the building contact what we found.
For landlords and managers.
Know where each shutoff is, and keep a list posted in the basement. In a multi unit building, the minute saved by knowing the right valve is often the difference between one wet ceiling and four.
Making a shutoff map for your building.
A one page map showing the main water shutoff, the water heater, the boiler and each unit's shutoff takes an hour to make. Post it in the cellar and share a copy with tenants. When a pipe fails, anyone on the block can then close the right valve.
Add the phone number for the emergency line and the name of the contact who has the keys. Our dispatcher can use that information to get a technician inside quickly.
Nearby.
We also serve Wallington and Lodi. For a camera look at a stubborn stack, see sewer camera inspection.
Questions homeowners ask us.
Passaic's main ZIP is 07055, and we cover all of it. Neighboring Garfield 07026 and Wallington 07057 are also served.
Yes. The line is open 24/7, and the nearest free technician is dispatched from Garfield.
Yes. We coordinate with landlords, superintendents and tenants when shared lines are involved.
Contact the Passaic Valley Water Commission. We check the lines inside your building.
Written by the Garfield Express Plumbing team. Updated October 16, 2026.