Roxboro runs its own water and sewer system, and about 71% of its homes were built before 1980, so older pipes come up more often here than in most of the Durham area. Plumber Durham is a free referral line that connects you with independent plumbers; it does not do plumbing work. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Roxboro.

Plumbing services in Roxboro
The Person County seat
Roxboro was incorporated in 1855 and is the seat of Person County. Its center sits about 29 miles north of downtown Durham in a straight line, with US 501 as the main route south. The 2020 Census counted 8,134 people in the city, while the 27573 ZIP code holds closer to 11,500. Downtown has a National Register commercial historic district and the Kirby Civic Auditorium, and Hyco Lake and Mayo Lake draw people out into the county.
Where the water comes from
The City of Roxboro operates its own water system and handles supply, metering and billing. Raw water starts in Lake Roxboro, travels roughly five miles down South Hyco Creek to an intake and is pumped to Lake Isaac Walton, also called City Lake. A 2016 Duke Energy evaluation filed with the state noted that City lines reach well beyond town, out toward Chub Lake Road near the Roxboro Steam Station, where a plan covered 91 eligible households that had used private wells, mostly by tying them into City water. That same filing recorded the City's concern about long water age at the far ends of the system. We could not open a current City water quality report, so ask the City for the latest one if you want test results.
Sewer inside the city goes to the Roxboro Wastewater Treatment Plant, which discharges to Marlowe Creek. Out in the county, plenty of homes still have a private well, and some are not on municipal sewer.
Old houses, and what that means
The median Roxboro home dates to 1967, and roughly one in seven was built before 1940. That is a very different picture from Durham, where the median home was built in 1995. In older Roxboro houses a plumber is more likely to run into original galvanized or cast iron piping, tired shutoff valves, undersized drains and earlier repairs that need sorting out. Water heater and fixture calls are common here too, but they often turn up something older behind the wall.
Permits and gas
Person County Inspections issues plumbing permits, and its application lists water heaters (electric or gas), fixtures, sewer connections and City water and sewer taps. For a water heater replacement or new line, the plumber you are connected with can confirm what the job needs. Person County is in Enbridge Gas North Carolina's service area, though a main may not reach every street. If you smell gas, leave the house first, then call 911 or Enbridge's emergency line at 1-877-776-2427 from outside.
When you call
Say whether the house is in the city or out in the county, whether it has a well, and what you are seeing. You will be connected with an independent plumber who works in the Roxboro area, and price and scheduling are settled directly between the two of you.
Common questions in Roxboro
Where does Roxboro's tap water come from?
Who issues plumbing permits in Roxboro?
Why do so many Roxboro homes need pipe work?
Do homes outside Roxboro use wells?
Nearby cities and towns
Sources
- Wikipedia: Roxboro, North Carolina
- US Census QuickFacts: Roxboro city
- Census Reporter: ZIP 27573
- City of Roxboro Code of Ordinances: Water supply lakes
- NCDEQ: Duke Energy permanent replacement water evaluation, Roxboro (2016)
- NCDEQ: NPDES permit notice, Roxboro WWTP
- Point2Homes: Roxboro demographics (housing age)
- Point2Homes: Durham demographics (housing age)
- Person County Inspections: Plumbing permit application
- Person County Inspections: Fee schedule
- Enbridge Gas North Carolina: Assistance agencies by county
- Enbridge Gas North Carolina: Contact us and emergency line
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