Plumbing in Belleville: what the town is like
Belleville is a dense Essex County township between the Second River and the Passaic River, with Nutley to the north and Newark's North Ward to the south. Silver Lake, Belwood, Big Tree and Soho are the neighborhoods people mention most when they call.
Much of the housing is older: one- and two-family houses, many with basements, and plenty of mature trees. Those two facts explain most emergency calls. Roots find their way into old sewer laterals, and water heaters in basement corners reach the end of their life without warning.
The Belleville Water Department at 973-450-3414 handles meters and billing. Its 2023 report listed water hardness at 48.7 ppm, about 2.9 grains per gallon, which is soft by the USGS scale. That means scale builds slowly here, and most homes do not need a softener.
Heavy rain is the other regular visitor. Low-lying streets near the rivers see groundwater rise quickly, and sump pumps get a hard test. See our sump pump repair and basement waterproofing pages for what helps.
What to do in a plumbing emergency
Water flowing where it should not: close the main shutoff, usually near the meter or where the line enters the basement, then call (973) 488-5410.
Sewage backing up: stop using all water, keep people and pets away, and do not pour chemical cleaners down the drain. Call us, and we dispatch right away.
Smell of gas: leave the building and call PSE&G at 1-800-880-7734, then 911 if the smell is strong. Do not use a phone or light switch inside.
Rules that protect you
New Jersey requires plumbing to be performed by a licensed master plumber, an authorized plumbing contractor, or their employees. The license number must appear on the invoice, and you can verify it with the State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers.
For permit questions, the Belleville township office at 973-450-3300 can tell you what applies to your address.
Questions Belleville homeowners ask first
Yes. Our line is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including holidays. Call (973) 488-5410 and a dispatcher answers.
We give you an arrival window on the phone. Same-day appointments are available when the schedule allows, and emergencies are dispatched first.
After-hours dispatch costs more than a weekday visit. We tell you the price before the truck rolls and before any work starts.
We serve Nutley, Bloomfield, Newark, Kearny and North Arlington, and take calls from nearby towns when the schedule allows.
Close the main water shutoff if water is flowing, stop using drains if sewage is backing up, and keep people away from standing water. We walk you through it on the phone.
The Belleville Water Department at 973-450-3414. If you are not sure whether a leak is on your side of the meter, call them, or call us and we will test it.