Conway sits on the Waccamaw River, and the river writes half the plumbing problems here. Flood-season sewer backups, septic fields in saturated sandy soil, and well pumps in the outlying areas — Plumbing Pros handles the work this ground actually demands.

Plumbing on the Waccamaw: what Conway homes actually need

Conway is the county seat of Horry County and one of the oldest towns in the region, with a historic downtown, Coastal Carolina University, and neighborhoods spreading toward the Waccamaw River. It's also a town that floods. The Waccamaw has hit record crests multiple times in recent years — Hurricane Florence in 2018 sent water into more than a thousand structures around Conway, and Tropical Storm Debby brought it back in 2024. That reality shapes everything about plumbing here.

The flooding hits plumbing two ways. Inside the sewer system, high water surcharges the municipal lines and pushes sewage backward into homes through their laterals. Outside it, saturated ground shuts down septic drain fields and drives groundwater into basements and crawlspaces. A house that behaves perfectly in a dry summer can turn into a problem property for a wet month.

Water in Conway mostly comes from two places: Grand Strand Water & Sewer Authority, which treats surface water from the Pee Dee River watershed at its Bull Creek plant, and the City of Conway's own system. Beyond those lines, plenty of riverfront and outlying properties run private wells — and wells here bring their own issues: sulfur odor, iron staining, and pumps that cycle themselves to death on waterlogged pressure tanks.

The housing stock spans generations. Downtown holds older homes with clay and cast-iron laterals and decades of tree-root pressure. Mid-century neighborhoods carry galvanized and copper of varying condition. Newer riverfront builds go up elevated with modern materials but sit in the same wet ground. Each generation fails differently, and the fix has to match the house, not a template.

Plumbing Pros does plumbing for that whole mix: sewer and drain work, septic troubleshooting, well pump and pressure tank service, water heaters, repipes, and the everyday fixture repairs. If you're in 29526, 29527 or 29528, call (877) 401-2673 and tell us what you're seeing.

A Conway crew built for Waccamaw ground

The river writes half the work orders here

The Waccamaw River sets the plumbing calendar in Conway, and any plumber working here who ignores that is guessing. Plumbing Pros takes on the jobs this ground creates: laterals that need backwater protection before flood season, septic fields that quit when the soil saturates, well pumps failing on outlying lots, and older downtown lines full of roots. We show up with cameras, locators and pressure gauges first — because a backup that only happens during rain is a different problem than one that happens on a dry Tuesday, and the repair has to match. When the honest answer is a full lateral replacement or a new drain field, we say it and put it in writing. When it's a stuck switch or a waterlogged tank, we say that too and charge accordingly. No scare stories about the river, no upsells riding on storm anxiety — just the work this town actually needs, priced plainly.

• We carry the gear Conway jobs need — sewer cameras, locators, pump test equipment — so most diagnoses happen in one visit.
• We know the difference between a rain-driven backup and an everyday clog, and we fix the one you actually have.
• We service septic, wells and city sewer alike — outlying lots aren't a surprise to us.
• We price every job in writing before work starts, so there are no storm-season surprises on the bill.
• We leave the property clean: yards restored after digging, floors covered during indoor work.
• We give written notes on every job, including what to watch before the next wet season.

Why Conway homeowners call Plumbing Pros

• Flood-season know-how: High river water is a recurring fact in Conway, and we size and place backwater valves and sump pumps for exactly that reality.
• Honest diagnosis first: A wet-season backup, a saturated drain field and a collapsed line all look alike from the toilet. We find out which one it is before quoting.
• Septic fluency: Outside city sewer, drain fields and tanks are the whole system. We troubleshoot the full chain — tank, distribution, field — instead of condemning it blindly.
• Well water experience: Sulfur, iron, cycling pumps and pressure tanks are routine for us on the outlying roads, and treatment gets sized to your actual water test.
• Straight pricing: Scope, materials, access, condition — the real cost drivers, laid out in writing for you to approve. No vague ranges, no surprises.
• Respect for the property: Drop cloths indoors, restored grade outdoors, and a cleanup pass before we leave.
• Clear records to keep: Written notes on what was done and what to watch, useful for insurance claims, inspections and future buyers.

The plumbing trouble Conway calls us about most

Septic drain fields stalling in saturated soil

Outside the city sewer lines, many Conway properties run on septic. The drain field only works when the surrounding soil can absorb water — after days of heavy rain or a high river, saturated sandy soil has nowhere left to give. Toilets flush slowly, the lowest drain gurgles, and sometimes sewage backs into the house. The fix starts with confirming it's the field and not the tank or a line blockage, then addressing distribution, baffle issues, or a field that has simply reached the end of its life.

Sewer backing up during high river water

When the Waccamaw runs high, the municipal sewer can push backward through laterals into homes — toilets burping, floor drains filling with water, basement fixtures backing up first. The real defense is a backwater valve on the main line, which lets wastewater out but shuts when the street system surges. We diagnose whether a backup came from the lateral or from the street, clear the line, and install or repair backwater protection so the next high-water event doesn't become an indoor one.

Well pumps and well water struggling in outlying areas

Riverfront lots and outlying roads outside city water often rely on private wells. The signs of trouble are specific: sulfur smell, orange staining, sputtering faucets, or the pump cycling on and off constantly. Constant cycling usually means a waterlogged pressure tank, which will burn out the pump motor if ignored. We test the pressure tank, check the pump and wiring, and treat well-water issues at the source with filtration and softening sized to the actual water test.

Roots breaking into old clay laterals downtown

Conway's older neighborhoods near downtown still run original clay and cast-iron laterals under decades of root growth from oaks and pines. Sandy soil shifts easily, so joints separate and roots walk right in. Camera inspection with a surface locator shows exactly where the break is — one bad joint gets a spot repair, while a line full of them earns a replacement plan. We restore the yard when the digging is done.

Water heaters filling with sediment

Surface-supplied water in Conway is on the softer side, but sediment still accumulates — especially in homes on wells or where the supply stirs up after storms. Rumbling tanks, popping sounds, and hot water that runs out sooner are sediment's fingerprints. Flushing restores capacity if the tank is still sound; once the bottom is scaled solid or the tank leaks, replacement is the honest call. We size new units to the household, not to whatever was there.

Burst pipes when a hard freeze catches homes off guard

Conway sees real cold snaps most winters, just not as often as upstate. That's when exposed pipes — hose bibbs, laundry lines in garages, plumbing in raised coastal-style homes and crawlspaces — burst. A pipe that froze and thawed once has stretched and should be treated as suspect. We thaw lines safely, replace weakened sections, and add insulation and frost-proof bibbs where the exposure is worst.

How a Conway service visit unfolds

1. You describe the symptom in plain words: What you notice first usually points at the cause: which drain backs up, whether it only happens when it rains, what the water smells like. Start there — the details matter more than you'd think.
2. We check it with instruments, not guesses: Then we verify. Cameras for drains and sewers, pressure gauges for supply lines, load tests for sump and well pumps. You see the evidence with us, so the recommendation follows from something real.
3. Options on paper, your call: Repair or replace, spot fix or system plan — laid out in writing with the cost of each, and nothing starts until you approve. If both options are honest, you hear both.
4. The repair, done for this ground: We do the work to code and to flood-aware standard: proper fall on drains, accessible cleanouts, backwater protection where it counts. Floors get covered, yards get restored, and the site gets left clean.
5. Walkthrough with written notes: We walk you through the finished work, show the before-and-after where it helps, and leave written notes — including what to watch for before the next wet season. That's the handoff.

Where we work across the Conway area

Our Conway service area covers ZIP codes 29526, 29527 and 29528 — the full sweep of the city and its outskirts. That includes the historic downtown core with its older clay and cast-iron laterals, the neighborhoods spreading toward Coastal Carolina University, the mid-century streets that carry a mix of galvanized and copper, and the outlying roads and riverfront lots where wells and septic systems are still the norm. We also work the low-lying areas along the Waccamaw where flood history changes how plumbing has to be installed — backwater valves, properly placed sump pumps, and laterals graded to stay working when the ground is saturated. We also handle the everyday side of the work — leaking faucets, running toilets, clogged disposals, frost-damaged hose bibbs and laundry hookups — because small problems in a wet climate have a habit of growing. Whether the home is a century-old downtown house or an elevated riverfront build, the service is the same: diagnose honestly, price in writing, do the work to code. Don't see your ZIP code? Call (877) 401-2673 and we'll confirm coverage.

Zip Codes We Serve in Conway

29526, 29527, 29528

Testimonials

Every time the river got high our downstairs toilet would gurgle and back up. They traced it to the main line and installed a backwater valve, then showed me how to keep it clean. The next high water came and went without a drop inside the house.

Our septic quit after a week of rain and we were told by someone else we needed a whole new system. These folks checked the tank, the distribution box and the field, and found a fixable problem in the distribution. It has worked through two wet seasons since.

The pump was cycling on and off every minute and the water smelled like sulfur. They tested the tank and found it waterlogged, replaced it, and set up treatment matched to our water test. The cycling stopped and the smell is gone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Am I on sewer or septic in Conway?

Parts of Conway do, mostly outside the city sewer system. Outlying roads and riverfront lots commonly use septic tanks with drain fields, and some also rely on private wells. If you're buying or just moved, find out which you have — the maintenance is completely different. And if a home sits in a low spot near the river, ask how the drain field behaved in the last big rain before you assume it's fine.

Why does my septic stop working after heavy rain?

Saturated soil is the usual culprit. A drain field needs absorbent ground, and after days of rain or a high Waccamaw, the water table can rise right into the field's working zone. Nothing drains because there's nowhere for it to drain to. The first step is ruling out a tank or line problem, then evaluating whether the field can be restored or needs replacement — and raising the system above the wet-season water level if it does.

How do I prepare my plumbing for flood season?

Flooding isn't rare here — the Waccamaw has hit record crests multiple times in recent memory, and a US Army Corps of Engineers flood risk study for the river was finalized in 2026. For plumbing specifically: a backwater valve on the main sewer line stops street-system surges from entering the house, sump pumps need to be tested under load, and knowing where your shutoffs are saves real damage. Call (877) 401-2673 before storm season if you want the flood-specific items checked.

Is Conway's water hard?

GSWSA supplies surface water from the Pee Dee watershed, which is naturally on the softer side — most homes on city water won't see severe scale. Well water is the variable: iron, sulfur and hardness differ lot to lot. If you're on a well and fixtures are staining or heaters keep failing, get the water tested and size treatment to the test, not to a guess.

My drains back up every time it rains hard. Related?

Usually not a coincidence. Heavy rain saturates drain fields, raises the water table into low laterals, and surcharges the municipal system — all three push water back toward houses at the same time. If it only happens during rain, the problem is downstream of your fixtures. That's when a camera inspection and a look at the main line earn their keep.

What affects the cost of a sewer line replacement here?

The same honest factors as anywhere: how much wall or ground has to open to reach the pipe, what material goes back in, the condition of everything connected to it, and whether the work can be scheduled or can't wait. Permits and inspections are part of it too. The one Conway-specific factor is access after flooding — soggy ground and standing water complicate digging. Call (877) 401-2673 and we'll look at the site and give you a written number.

Do you cover downtown Conway and the outlying areas?

Yes — both, plus homes on septic and wells in the outlying stretches. Our standard service area covers 29526, 29527 and 29528. Conway's housing mixes historic downtown homes, mid-century neighborhoods and new riverfront builds, and each generation has its own plumbing habits. We work across all of it.

What is a backwater valve, and do I need one?

A backwater valve (sometimes called a backflow valve) sits on your main sewer line and lets wastewater flow out while slamming shut if the street system pushes back — exactly what happens when the river is high and the sewers surcharge. For homes near the river or in neighborhoods with a flooding history, it's cheap protection against a catastrophic mess. Installation takes a few hours in accessible pipe and the valve needs periodic cleaning to keep working.

Local Weather Risk

Horry County has recorded the following severe weather events since 2015, per NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information:

• Thunderstorm Wind: 134 recorded events (2015–2025)
• Flash Flood: 82 recorded events (2015–2025)
• Hail: 51 recorded events (2015–2025)
• Tornado: 20 recorded events (2016–2023)
• Flood: 15 recorded events (2015–2025)

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

Our Services

• Backflow Prevention Testing & Installation Near Me — Call for pricing
• Bathroom Plumbing Remodel Near Me — Call for pricing
• Bathtub Repair & Installation Near Me — Call for pricing
• Burst Pipe Repair Near Me — Call for pricing
• Commercial Plumbing Services Near Me — Call for pricing

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• Myrtle Beach
• North Myrtle Beach
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