4 ft+
Frost goes deep here
In a Fargo winter the ground freezes four feet down and more, deeper still under plowed driveways and streets. Water lines are buried well below that, and anything shallower is at risk in a hard January.
01Where we work
Both banks of the Red River.
Plumbwise serves Fargo, Moorhead and the surrounding areas, with licenses for both sides of the Red River: North Dakota and Minnesota.
North Dakota side
Fargo and West Fargo are the heart of our work: basements, sump pumps, softeners, and water heaters fed by very cold winter water. Fargo-treated water supplies both cities.
- Fargo
- West Fargo
- Horace
- Harwood
- Reile's Acres
- Mapleton
- Casselton
- Kindred
- Oxbow
Minnesota side
Across the river, plumbing is licensed by the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry. Plumbwise holds a Minnesota license as well, so the same plumber can cross the bridge.
- Moorhead
- Dilworth
- Glyndon
- Sabin
- Hawley
- Barnesville
02What we plan for
Same valley, four constants.
17 → 7
Softened, but still hard
Fargo's treatment plant softens Red River water from an average of 17 grains per gallon to a target of about 7. That is still moderately hard, which is why softeners and water heater maintenance matter here.
Apr 1
Sump season turns over
In Fargo, sump pumps may not discharge into the sanitary sewer from April 1 to September 30. From October 1 to March 31 the city allows it with an approved seasonal waiver, so the line does not freeze outside.
40.84 ft
A valley that floods
The Red River crested at a record 40.84 feet in Fargo in March 2009. In a flat valley of heavy clay, a working sump pump, drain tile and a backwater valve are what keep a basement dry in spring.
03Old town and new edge
Two kinds of Fargo house.
Near downtown Fargo and in old Moorhead, a call often means galvanized pipe, a gate valve that has not turned in decades and a floor drain that has seen a few floods. Out along the growing edges of West Fargo and Horace it is more often a newer house with plastic piping, a sump pump that runs hard every April and a softener still set for water the city no longer delivers.
Different houses, same approach: find the real cause, use parts that last, and stand behind the repair.
04Not on the list?
Just ask.
We say “Fargo, Moorhead & surrounding areas” and we mean it. If you are near any of these towns, call 701-306-2074 and we will tell you straight away whether we can get to you.