Plumbers in San Bernardino, CA

Where San Bernardino sits

San Bernardino lies about 15 miles north-northeast of Riverside in a straight line, in San Bernardino County. With 222,101 residents in the 2020 Census, it is one of the largest cities in the region. Neighborhoods run from Downtown and the West Side up to Verdemont in the north, with Little Mountain and Devil's Canyon Reservoir among the local landmarks.

A water department that also runs the sewer

The San Bernardino Municipal Water Department (SBMWD) has been city-owned since 1905 and covers roughly 45 square miles, including some unincorporated county land. Its supply is entirely local groundwater from the Bunker Hill Basin; State Water Project water is used to recharge that basin rather than piped straight to taps. SBMWD shares the basin with more than 20 other suppliers, so a handful of addresses inside the city may be served by a different agency. The department's service area map settles it.

That groundwater is hard. SBMWD's report lists an average of 242.2 mg/L as calcium carbonate, with readings from 130 to 330 mg/L, and the water is disinfected with chlorine. Expect mineral crust on aerators and showerheads and sediment in tank water heaters; the department even posts a water heater maintenance handout on its Water Quality page.

SBMWD also collects and treats wastewater, and it treats sewage for Loma Linda and Colton too. The city keeps up the sewer main in the street, while the owner is responsible for the lateral running from the house. Properties within 200 feet of a sewer main are required to connect.

Your side of the meter

SBMWD maintains the pipe from the main up to the meter. The buried line from the meter to the house, and everything inside, belongs to the customer. The department reports no lead service lines in its system after completing its inventory, and it runs a replacement program that checks older galvanized laterals for lead goosenecks at the corporation stop. Water or sewer emergencies on the utility side go to 909-384-5141, which rolls to an answering service after hours; customer service is 909-384-5095.

Housing skews older in parts of town. In ZIP 92404, city-data.com counts about 72 percent of houses as built in 1979 or earlier, which is where galvanized supply piping, cast iron drains and tired laterals can turn up.

Permits, backflow and gas

The Building & Safety Division requires permits for plumbing work, and simple jobs such as a water heater replacement are usually issued over the counter at 201 North E Street using the Mechanical, Electrical, or Plumbing Permit Application. The city's information line is 909-998-2000. SBMWD's Cross-Connection Control Program inspects industrial, commercial and some residential sites and requires a backflow device wherever a hazard exists.

SoCalGas supplies natural gas here. If you smell gas, leave the house first, then call 911 and SoCalGas at 1-800-427-2200 from outside.

Compared with Riverside, and what a call involves

In the City of Riverside, Riverside Public Utilities handles water and the city's Public Works handles sewer. Here one department does both, and its water is harder. When you call the number on this page, say what is happening and whether the water is off, and you will be connected with an independent plumber who serves San Bernardino. Price and timing are agreed between you and that plumber.