# My Basement Is Flooding in Northern Virginia: What to Do and Who to Call

**Restoration Doctor** (VA Water Damage LLC dba Restoration Doctor)
Phone: 1-888-29-FLOOD (1-888-293-5663) · office@restorationdoctors.com
Mailing Address: 8609 Westwood Center Dr, Ste 110-1062, Vienna, VA 22182

> If your basement is flooding in Northern Virginia, stop the source only if it is safe, stay out of standing water near outlets, then call Restoration Doctor at 1-888-293-5663, answered by a person at any hour. We can be on-site in as little as 60 minutes across the Northern Virginia core. Response times vary based on crew availability and demand.

Updated October 2026

## At a glance

- Service area: Northern Virginia: Fairfax, Arlington, Loudoun, Prince William and Fauquier counties and the independent cities of Alexandria, Falls Church, Fairfax City, Manassas and Manassas Park
- Services: Water Damage Restoration
- Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (emergency response)
- Phone: 1-888-293-5663 (1-888-29-FLOOD)
- License: Virginia DPOR Class A contractor license 2705191604, issued to VA Water Damage LLC dba Restoration Doctor
- Standards: IICRC-certified · S500 / S520-aligned

## The first hour of a flooded basement

Do these in order. The first one matters most.

1. **Check for electrical danger before anything else**: If water is touching outlets, cords, the panel or appliances, do not walk in; standing water near live electricity is a shock hazard. If you can reach the main breaker without entering water, turn the power off. If you cannot, call 911 or your electric utility instead of wading in.
2. **Work out where the water is coming from**: A burst supply line or a water heater is clean water at first. Rain or groundwater that has crossed the ground is contaminated, and sewage is Category 3. The source decides who you call and how the work is done.
3. **Stop it if it is plumbing**: Close the main water valve. Fairfax Water's guide says it is normally where the water line enters the home through the foundation, and that it is worth marking before you need it.
4. **Report the public side**: If the water is coming from the street, a water main or a sewer, the utility has to stop it. The table below lists the emergency numbers each utility publishes, copied from their own sites.
5. **Call us for the water inside**: Call 1-888-293-5663. Tell us what the water is, how deep it is, which floor, whether the power is on, and whether there is a gate, a code or limited parking.
6. **Protect what you safely can**: Lift small valuables, electronics and papers onto dry surfaces if you can do it without entering contaminated water. Leave soaked carpet, furniture and anything porous for the crew.
7. **Photograph, and keep the vacuum in the closet**: Photograph the room for your own records. A household vacuum is not built for water and adds a shock hazard.

## Who to call about the public side, by jurisdiction

These numbers were copied from each utility's own website on October 26, 2026. Check the site before you rely on one.

| Problem | Who to call | Number |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Water main break or water in the street, Fairfax Water customers | Fairfax Water emergency line | 703-698-5613 (24 hours) |
| Water main break or water in the street, Town of Vienna water customers | Town of Vienna Public Works; outside business hours, the police non-emergency line | 703-255-6380; outside business hours, 703-255-6366 |
| Water or sewer problem on the public side, Town of Herndon customers | Town of Herndon Department of Public Works, Water and Sewer Maintenance and Service | 703-435-6860 |
| Sewage that may be in the county main, Fairfax County | Fairfax County Wastewater Collection, 24-hour center | 703-323-1211 |
| Water or sewer emergency, Arlington County | Arlington County water-sewer hotline | 703-228-6555 (24 hours) |
| Water main break or water emergency, Alexandria | Virginia American Water | 1-800-272-1325 |
| Water emergency, Loudoun Water customers | Loudoun Water | 571-291-7878 after hours; 571-291-7880 business hours |
| Water main break or sewage backup, Prince William Water customers | Prince William Water Emergency Dispatch | 703-335-7990 (24 hours) |
| Water or sewer emergency, City of Manassas customers | City of Manassas Utilities Department | 703-257-8219 (weekdays, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.); after hours, 703-257-8353 |
| Smell of gas, if Washington Gas serves your address | Leave the building, call 911, then the Washington Gas Emergency Leak Line, option 1 | 844-927-4427 (844-WASHGAS) |

Sources:
- [Fairfax Water, Contact Us](https://www.fairfaxwater.org/contact-us)
- [Town of Vienna, Water and Sewer Services](https://www.viennava.gov/Services/Water-Sewer)
- [Town of Vienna, Public Works](https://www.viennava.gov/Town-Departments/Public-Works)
- [Town of Herndon, Water and Sewer](https://www.herndon-va.gov/departments/public-works/water-and-sewer)
- [Town of Herndon, Water and Sewer Maintenance and Service](https://www.herndon-va.gov/Home/Components/StaffDirectory/StaffDirectory/76/)
- [Fairfax County Wastewater Collection](https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/publicworks/wastewater)
- [Arlington County, Report a Problem](https://www.arlingtonva.us/Government/Topics/Report-Problem/Online-Service-Request-Tool)
- [City of Alexandria, Sewer and Hydrant Maintenance](https://www.alexandriava.gov/public-works/sewer-and-hydrant-maintenance)
- [Loudoun Water, Contact Us](https://www.loudounwater.org/contact-us)
- [Prince William Water, Contact Us](https://princewilliamwater.org/about-us/contact-us)
- [City of Manassas, Utilities Department](https://www.manassasva.gov/utilities/)
- [Washington Gas, Natural Gas Safety](https://www.washingtongas.com/safety-education/safety/natural-gas-safety)

The Towns of Leesburg, Vienna and Herndon and the City of Manassas run their own water systems, so check whose name is on your bill; a Leesburg address calls the town. The Town of Herndon's pages list no separate after-hours number. If you are unsure whose pipe it is, the utility's emergency line will tell you.

## Why basements flood across Northern Virginia, and why it matters which water it is

The causes change with the map. Inside the Beltway, finished basements in 1950s to 1970s homes flood from aging galvanized and cast-iron plumbing. In eastern Loudoun and much of Prince William, clay soil holds water and a sump pump is all that keeps the finished space dry, so a pump that fails or loses power in a storm is the usual cause. Near Bull Run, Accotink Creek, Difficult Run, Pohick Creek and the Occoquan River, groundwater and rising water come in from outside.

That last distinction matters. Clean supply water that sits can degrade toward Category 2 in about 48 hours and toward Category 3 within 72. Water that has come in from outside, or up from a drain, is treated as contaminated from the start under IICRC S500. Contaminated water means carpet, pad and the lower part of the drywall come out instead of being dried in place, and the space is cleaned before drying equipment is set.

## What the crew does when it arrives

The first job is to stop the loss from growing, then to remove the standing water. A small supply-line break gets portable extractors; a flooded basement or a multi-room loss gets truck-mounted units that pull water far faster. Meters and a thermal camera then map where the water actually went, which is almost always further than the visible damage, and that map decides what is removed and what is dried in place.

Air movers and commercial dehumidifiers are sized to the wet footprint, readings are taken every day, and the equipment comes out when the readings reach the dry standard, not when a number of days has passed. Every phase is photographed with date and time stamps, and the estimate is a line-item Xactimate document.

Speed matters because the EPA's guidance is to dry water-damaged areas and items within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold growth.

Sources:
- [EPA, A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home](https://www.epa.gov/mold/brief-guide-mold-moisture-and-your-home)

## Frequently asked questions

### Who should I call first when my basement is flooding in Northern Virginia?

If anyone is in danger or water is touching live electrical equipment, call 911. If the water is coming from the street, a main or the sewer, call the utility's emergency number from the table above. For the water inside the house, call Restoration Doctor at 1-888-293-5663, which a person answers at any hour.

### How fast can a crew get to a flooded basement in Northern Virginia?

Dispatch runs 24 hours a day. We can be on-site in as little as 60 minutes across the Northern Virginia core. Response times vary based on crew availability and demand. Travel time depends on your address and the traffic, so ask for an estimate when you call.

### Is it safe to go into a flooded basement?

Not if the water is touching outlets, cords, the panel or appliances, or if it may be sewage or outside floodwater. Standing water near live electricity is a shock hazard, and contaminated water carries bacteria. Stay out and call.

### Should I turn off the power to a flooded basement?

Only if you can reach the breaker panel without entering water. If the panel is in the flooded area, do not go to it. Call 911 or your electric utility, and tell the restoration crew that the power status is unknown.

### How long can I wait before calling a restoration company?

Not long. EPA guidance is to dry water-damaged materials within 24 to 48 hours, because mold needs only a damp surface and a little time, and clean water can degrade to a more contaminated category the longer it sits.

### Can wet basement carpet be saved?

Sometimes, if the water was clean and drying starts quickly. If the water came from outside or from a drain, carpet and pad are removed because they cannot be reliably decontaminated in place. The category of the water decides, not how the carpet looks.

### How much does it cost to clean up a flooded basement in Northern Virginia?

National guides list flooded basement cleanup at about $4 to $12 per square foot, from roughly $1,600 for fresh water in a small area to $12,000 or more for contaminated water in a larger basement. Those are national figures, not our prices. The cost guide linked below gives the sources.

## Related pages

- [Water damage restoration cost in Northern Virginia](https://restorationdoctors.com/guides/water-damage-restoration-cost-northern-virginia): National ranges with their sources, and how our billing works.
- [Sewage backup in Northern Virginia](https://restorationdoctors.com/guides/sewage-backup-northern-virginia-what-to-do): When the water is coming up a drain.
- [Burst pipe in Northern Virginia](https://restorationdoctors.com/guides/burst-pipe-northern-virginia-what-to-do): Shutoff valves, thawing and your water bill.
- [24/7 emergency restoration in Northern Virginia](https://restorationdoctors.com/emergency-restoration-northern-virginia): Who to call during an active loss.
- [Water damage restoration](https://restorationdoctors.com/services/water-damage-restoration): How extraction and drying work.
- [How to choose a restoration company](https://restorationdoctors.com/guides/how-to-choose-a-water-damage-restoration-company-northern-virginia): Eight checks that work on any company.

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Last updated: October 2026