Emergency plumber in Portland: what to do in the first minutes

Not every emergency starts with a plumber. Some start with a utility or with 911. These are the official numbers each agency publishes:

These numbers apply to Portland Water Bureau and City of Portland sewer customers. If you live in a suburb with a different water or sewer provider, use the emergency number on your utility bill.

1. Close the main shutoff valve. The Portland Water Bureau says most shutoff valves are where the water line enters the house: often at the front near the hose connection, in the basement near the water heater, or in the garage. Find yours before you need it.
2. Turn off the water heater, using the shutoff valve on its cold-water inlet, as the Water Bureau advises.
3. In an apartment or other multifamily building, contact the property manager to shut off the water.
4. If you cannot find or close your valve, call the Water Bureau's emergency dispatch line at 503-823-4874 to request an emergency shutoff. The bureau warns that during storms, high call volume and downed trees can slow responses.
5. Stay out of standing water if it could reach outlets, cords or appliances.
6. Open a faucet on the lowest floor to drain the remaining water from the lines once the main is closed.
7. Photograph the damage before you move anything, for your insurer.

The Water Bureau owns the pipes up to and including the meter. Broken pipes on the customer's side of the meter are the property owner's responsibility. After a leak is fixed, you can request a bill adjustment from Water Bureau customer service.

Once the water is off, you have time to compare quotes. Our emergency plumbing cost guide lists typical after-hours rates and the questions to ask before anyone drives out.

Leave first, call second. NW Natural tells customers to leave the house no matter what, even if the smell seems mild, and to call its emergency line at 800-882-3377. Call from outside or from a neighbor's home, and call 911 if anyone is hurt or in danger. Do not try to find the leak yourself and do not relight a pilot until the utility says it is safe.

Gas appliances can also produce carbon monoxide. The CPSC lists headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, sleepiness and confusion as symptoms, and says to get outside to fresh air immediately and then call 911. It recommends CO alarms on every level of the home and outside sleeping areas.

• Find the frozen section. It is usually in a crawl space, garage or exterior wall.
• Know where your shutoff is before thawing, because the Water Bureau notes that frozen pipes can still leak or burst as they thaw.
• Use a hair dryer or heat lamp. The Water Bureau names these as safe ways to thaw a frozen pipe. Never use an open flame.
• Open the faucet the pipe feeds so melting water has somewhere to go.
• Call a plumber if you cannot reach the frozen area or the pipe has split.

To prevent a repeat, the Water Bureau suggests opening cabinet doors so warm air reaches pipes under sinks, letting indoor faucets drip during a freeze, and covering outdoor faucets.

Stop using water so you do not add to the backup. Portland Environmental Services recommends calling a plumber first to find the cause, and lists 503-823-1700 as its 24-hour line for sewer emergencies and odors. If you clean up yourself, the city advises gloves, boots and protective clothing, washing surfaces with hot soapy water and then disinfecting with one part household bleach to ten parts water.

Under City of Portland rules, the property owner is responsible for the sewer line from the house to the curb, and the City maintains the lateral from the curb to the main. Our sewer line repair page explains what happens next, and our guide to sump pumps and basement flooding covers rain-related water.

Give your address and cross street, what failed, whether the water or gas is off, and how long it has been leaking. Ask for the company's CCB number and check it in the CCB license search while you wait. Ask for the trip fee and hourly rate before anyone drives out.

This website is not an emergency service. Portland Plumber Pros is an independent information guide. We do not answer phones, cannot send anyone to your home, and email replies are not immediate.