Commercial plumbing emergency: what to do right now
A commercial emergency has more moving parts than a house. Several people may be in the building, and the water shutoff may be in a locked room. A few steps in the right order save the most damage.
Clear the area
Move people out of wet zones. Water on a tile floor is a slip hazard, and water near outlets is an electrical one.
Shut the water
Close the building main, or the tenant space valve if your lease shows one. Staff should know where both are.
Kill power near water
Turn off breakers for wet areas only if you can reach the panel without stepping through water.
Protect inventory
Lift boxes, paper goods and electronics off the floor and cover shelving with plastic.
Call the 24/7 line
Tell us the type of building, what is leaking and whether sewage is involved. For sewage, close the restroom and keep everyone out.
What we handle, and where we say so
We work on the plumbing inside and around a business: supply lines, fixtures, drains, water heaters, floor drains and some pumps. We tell you plainly when a job needs a different trade, such as fire sprinkler systems, roof drains on a large complex, or heavy industrial process piping.
| System | What goes wrong | Typical response |
|---|---|---|
| Restroom fixtures | Running tanks, flush valve failures, leaking supplies | Repair on site, replace parts |
| Floor and kitchen drains | Grease buildup, slow drains, odors | Cable or jet the line, camera if it returns |
| Grease traps and interceptors | Full traps, overflow, odor | Planned cleaning schedule or emergency pumpout referral |
| Storm and parking lot drains | Leaves and debris, standing water after rain | Cleaning and inspection, planned work |
| Water heaters | No hot water, leaking tank | Repair or replace, see water heater replacement |
| Backflow assemblies | Failed test, stuck relief valve | Repair. Testing is done by a certified tester |
Locating a leak in a commercial building
Commercial leak detection is the call we hear about most often. The honest answer is that it depends on the building. A strip-center unit with a slab floor and a single supply line is a smaller puzzle than a multi-tenant building with shared risers and drop ceilings.
We start with a water meter test, then listen for the leak with acoustic equipment, trace the line with a locator and use a thermal camera when warm lines are involved. Some leaks sit behind walls we cannot open without the owner's say-so. We will explain what is practical before we start, and we will not guess where a buried leak is. We locate it.
Business plumbing down?
Call the 24/7 line. Give us the address, what is leaking and where the shutoff is, and we will work out the next step with you.
Property managers and tenants: who calls, who pays
In leased space, the lease decides who is responsible for what. Tenants often call first, and managers often approve the work. We can take the call from either side, but we need a contact who can authorize the repair and give us access.
- Work orders.Send us the address, unit, symptoms and the name of the person on site. We note who approves cost before work.
- Access.Tell us about lock boxes, alarm codes and tenant hours before we dispatch.
- Records.We describe what we found and what we fixed in plain language, which helps with warranties and insurance files.
- Several units.If one line serves a row of businesses, a blockage in one unit often shows up in another.
Working in Riverton's commercial areas
Mountain View Village
An open-air mixed-use center at the northeast corner of Mountain View Corridor and 13400 South. Large mixed-use centers share risers and drains, so tell us which tenant space the leak is in.
Bangerter and Redwood corridors
Shops and offices line these roads. If a drain keeps slowing down, we camera the line rather than guess at the cause.
Digging
If a repair means excavation, call Blue Stakes at 811 first. Notice is required at least 48 hours before digging, counting business days only, and the locate marks keep a crew from hitting a buried utility.
Permits
Riverton says a building permit is required for work on plumbing systems regulated by the code. Ask the Riverton building department what your project needs.
Spills are different. For commercial or industrial spills, Jordan Basin Improvement District lists a dedicated line for sewer system spills. If a restaurant drain overflows into a parking lot, call the district as well as us.
Grease traps, storm drains and backflow testing
Food service businesses live and die by their grease lines. A trap that is not cleaned on a schedule will overflow, usually on a busy night. Planned cleaning is far cheaper than a weekend callout, and it is not usually an emergency until something has already gone wrong.
Storm drains in parking lots work the same way: debris builds up quietly, then rain shows the problem. We clean and inspect them as scheduled work.
Backflow assemblies protect the public water supply. Riverton's backflow program requires assemblies to be tested when installed or repaired and then yearly by a certified tester paid by the owner, with reports sent to the city. We repair assemblies that fail, and we can point you to a tester. Related drain work is covered under hydro jetting.
What commercial plumbing costs
Building size and layout
More floors, tenants and shared lines increase time on site.
Access
Locked rooms, ceilings and finished walls slow detection and repair.
Type of problem
A fixture repair, a camera inspection and a main line repair are priced as different work.
Hours
Work during business hours differs from a late-night shutdown to protect a building.
Permits and testing
Backflow, excavation and some repairs need permits or certified testing.
Commercial property policies vary widely. Many cover sudden water damage but not wear, slow leaks or sewer backup, so check your policy. Call the 24/7 line and we will give you a clear price before work starts.
Rules and sources behind this page
Commercial work follows the same state plumbing code as homes. Utah Code 15A-2-103 adopts the 2024 International Plumbing Code (IPC) as the state plumbing code, effective July 1, 2026, with Utah amendments on top. Ask the property owner or manager which permits apply before work starts, since Riverton's building office handles permits for plumbing systems regulated by the code.
For sewer spills or grease problems tied to a commercial drain, Jordan Basin Improvement District lists a commercial and industrial spill line. According to the district, the main is theirs and the private line is the property owner's.
Commercial plumbing questions
Yes. The 24/7 line covers businesses too, and same-day appointments are offered when available for work that can wait. For flooding or sewage, shut off water and call right away.
Yes, using a meter test, acoustic listening, line locators and thermal imaging. The scope depends on access and layout. See leak detection for how the methods work.
Yes. We need a contact who can approve the work and arrange access. Tenants can also call us directly for emergencies.
We handle cleaning and inspection of drains and many traps as planned work. Large interceptor pumpouts may be referred. We tell you before we start.
It depends on the lease and where the blockage is. We can camera the line to show where it sits, and the owner or manager decides from there.
No. We handle plumbing, not fire protection systems. We will say so on the call and suggest who to ask.
Yes. We are based in Riverton and also dispatch to South Jordan and nearby cities.