Plumbing in Highland: What We See Most
Highland incorporated in 1987, but much of west Highland was settled long before, with homes from the 1950s through the 1970s along and below Base Line. The east side is newer. East Highlands Ranch, a master-planned community on former citrus land, was built out mainly from the late 1980s into the 2000s, and more neighborhoods have gone up toward the foothills since.
In west Highland the work follows the age of the homes: galvanized supply lines, cast iron drains, clay laterals and water heaters long past their rated life. In East Highlands Ranch, the 1990s copper under the slabs is reaching pinhole age, and builder water heaters and pressure regulators are being replaced street by street. Homes near the foothills often see higher water pressure, which wears out valves and supply lines faster.
The most common Highland plumbing problems:
- First slab leaks in East Highlands Ranch homes from the 1990s
- Galvanized supply lines and clay laterals in older west Highland homes
- High water pressure and failed regulators near the foothills
- Original water heaters in 1990s and 2000s tracts reaching end of life
- Root intrusion in sewer laterals under mature trees
- Scale on fixtures and inside water heaters
None of this means every home has these problems, and a good plumber will tell you when yours does not. It does mean the diagnosis starts with knowing what is likely in this area, which saves time and keeps you from paying for the wrong repair.