A median build year of 1954 shapes every call
West Hartford has about 27,000 housing units, and Census estimates for 2020 to 2024 put the median year built at 1954. Roughly 65 percent of those homes went up before 1960, and 28 percent in 1939 or earlier. West Hartford's housing is older and denser than much of the Farmington area.
Age does not tell us what is inside a given wall, and we do not guess. It does tell us to expect original shutoff hardware, long-serving drain lines and fixtures that were replaced one room at a time. A sewer inspection camera settles questions that the date on the deed cannot.
| Built | Units | Share | Where trouble tends to start |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 or earlier | 7,565 | 28.0% | Old shutoffs, drain lines, leak detection behind plaster |
| 1940 to 1959 | 9,977 | 36.9% | Original drains, water heaters, slow drain cleaning jobs |
| 1960 or later | 9,498 | 35.1% | Fixtures, water heaters, sump pumps |
Who owns what: MDC mains, MDC crews and your lateral
West Hartford is one of eight Metropolitan District Commission member towns, and MDC provides regional water and sewer. The sewer lateral is the line from your house to the main sewer, and MDC says its ownership and maintenance are the homeowner's responsibility. A blockage in the main is MDC's to clear.
MDC handles
- Main sewer blockages, dispatched through its Command Center
- Water main breaks and curb box shutoff requests
- Inspection of any new or repaired lateral on private property
- Sewer permits for that lateral work
You and your plumber handle
- The lateral from the house to the main sewer
- Pipes inside the home after the main valve at the meter
- Hiring a licensed, bonded, insured contractor for lateral work
- Town building permits, since the homeowner is responsible for them
Call MDC first
MDC asks you to phone its Command Center at (860) 278-7850 and press 1 before any outside work starts. It says it will not assume liability if called after work begins.
Stop the water use
No showers, laundry or dishwasher. Every gallon you run goes to the lowest drain in the house.
Call our line
Dispatch books a same-day visit when a crew is free. We cable or jet the line, then run a camera to find the cause.
Ask about the permit
A new or repaired lateral needs an MDC sewer permit. Your plumber should explain who files it before digging.
MDC also runs a house connection program that may help pay for lateral work, with terms that change. Read its current page before you sign a repair contract, and see our sewer line repair page for how repair options compare.
Basements near Trout Brook and the water they collect
Trout Brook runs north to south through the middle of town. State resilience mapping calls the area around it highly vulnerable to flooding, and the town has studied flooding on its East Branch between Asylum Avenue and just north of Albany Avenue. If your basement sits near the brook, a sump pump and clear floor drain matter more than the age of the house.
What the Linbrook Road backup showed
In October 2018, a blockage in the Linbrook Road sewer flooded basements for about two dozen homes, per local news, and MDC suspected a pipe liner problem. It is a reminder that a backup can start in the street, not your pipe.
MDC runs a Backwater Valve Program for wet-weather basement flooding. We cannot say whether your address qualifies, so call MDC at (860) 278-7850 extension 3123.
Water or sewage in a West Hartford basement?
Close the main valve, stay out of standing water near outlets and call the 24/7 line.
Supply side: reading a leak from the street
MDC lists the signs of a water main break or service leak as bubbling water in the street or lawn, no water, much lower pressure, or rusty water that lasts. Those go to the MDC Command Center. A broken pipe inside your house means closing the valve nearest the meter and calling a plumber.
The supply is surface water from the Barkhamsted and Nepaug Reservoirs, treated at MDC plants before it reaches your tap. MDC's 2025 report says it met all state and federal standards and lists calcium at about 3 ppm. It adds phosphate as a corrosion inhibitor. For what is in your water, read that report or ask MDC. For a pressure drop at one fixture, see water line repair.
06107, 06110, 06117, 06119 and the Westfarms line
West Hartford's ZIP codes are 06107, 06110, 06117 and 06119. Town Hall at 50 South Main Street is 06107, and the Westfarms mall address on New Britain Avenue sits in 06110. The mall straddles the West Hartford and Farmington line, so a store or office there may be a commercial plumbing call from either side.
Neighborhoods run from West Hartford Center and Blue Back Square to Elmwood, Prospect Hill and Bishops Corner. Give dispatch the street and nearest cross street and we plan the route from there.
Permits and the building department
How West Hartford handles permits
The Building Department takes applications through its CityView online portal, and the town FAQ lists the 2021 International Plumbing Code among the codes in force. It also says homeowners should make sure their contractors have permits. Permit rules vary by job, so call its inspection line at 860-561-7530 before work starts.
Before we arrive in West Hartford
Find the main valve
In an older house it may be a stiff gate valve near the meter. Turn it slowly and note if it will not close.
Cut power to wet areas
Switch off basement circuits only from a dry spot.
Move what you can
Lift stored items and rugs off the floor and out of reach of rising water.
Keep drains quiet
Stop fixtures, then report to MDC if the backup is in the main.
Call the line
Ring (860) 397-8103 with your street and which fixtures are affected.
If you live closer to the Farmington Valley, our Avon page covers that side, and Newington is the neighboring town beside ZIP 06110. The full service list shows everything else we handle.