Downtown Westfield is the commercial center of town, centered on East Broad Street and Elm Street, mostly north of the train station. It is a mixed district of shops, restaurants, offices and upstairs apartments, and this page treats it as a commercial area and not a residential subdivision.
Plumbing problems in a business have different costs than at home. A closed restroom or a kitchen with no hot water affects customers within hours. The sections below cover what to know and prepare before a problem. For services across town, see our Westfield plumbing overview.
Older buildings and a real water main break
Westfield's preservation plan identifies a downtown commercial core of late nineteenth and early twentieth century buildings, including Arcanum Hall from 1894 and the Elmer E. Love Store from 1890. Two 1870 wood frame buildings are the only ones of that type downtown.
Older buildings can have additions, patched drain lines and shutoff valves that have not been turned in years. Ask to locate and exercise your valves during a planned visit and not during a flood.
On December 12, 2020, a New Jersey American Water main broke near 126 East Broad Street between Prospect and Elm Streets. About 20 commercial and 30 residential customers were affected, East Broad was closed, and repairs were expected to take about 16 hours. A business with no water for a day needs a plan for restrooms, hand washing and dish service.
Source type: Westfield preservation plan summary and a utility press release
Tenant, owner or utility: who to call
Responsibility varies with the lease. Read yours before you call.
| Problem | Usually start with | Why |
|---|---|---|
| No water on the whole street | New Jersey American Water | A main may be down, as in December 2020 |
| No water in your unit only | Your landlord or building manager | A shared valve or riser may be involved |
| A slow or backed up floor drain | A plumber, after you tell the landlord | The line may be shared with other units |
| A leaking fixture inside your space | A plumber, as your lease allows | Check who pays before work starts |
This is general guidance, not legal advice. Your lease governs.
Plumbing trouble at your business?
Tell us the address and what you see. We will say what to shut off first.
Plan before the next water outage
Do these on a quiet day.
- Mark the water shutoff and tell every employee where it is.
- Keep a list of who to call, including the landlord, the utility and a plumber.
- Test shutoff valves and replace any that will not close.
- Keep grease out of drains and ask how often kitchen lines should be cleaned.
- Know where the floor drains are and keep them uncovered and clear.
- Decide how the business operates if restrooms are closed for a day.
Kitchens, restrooms and busy hours
Food counters and restaurants put a lot of grease and food waste into their drains. Drain cleaning on a schedule is cheaper than a stoppage in the middle of service, and hydro jetting can clear buildup that a cable leaves behind. A leaking joint under a sink deserves a call right away, so see leak detection.
Foot traffic from the train station means more flushing and faster wear on valves and traps. A yearly look at restroom supplies and drains is a sensible habit. If a water heater serves a kitchen or a hand sink, ask about water heater repair before it fails in a rush. For the older blocks just west of the core, see Prospect Street.
Downtown Westfield plumbing questions
Yes, see our commercial plumbing page for the kinds of work. Tell us the address and the type of business when you call.
It can be. For a repair inside an apartment, start by telling the landlord, since shared risers and valves are often outside your unit.
Check with neighbors and call New Jersey American Water to see whether a main is affected. If only your unit lost water, check your own shutoff and tell the landlord.
Not for long in a food business. A backing up floor drain can mean a blocked line shared with other units. Stop adding water and call.
New Jersey's plumbing subcode adopts the National Standard Plumbing Code Illustrated, 2021 edition. Permit rules vary by job, so ask the Westfield construction office before work starts, and ask your contractor who pulls the permit.