Monday, November 2, 2026
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The Plumbing Brief
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The Plumbing Brief

Research

Original plumbing data and research from public sources: wages, prices, water bills, workforce, and housing data, with methods and sources stated.

A New York brownstone street with water pooling at the curb from an open hydrant, summer day
Research

What New Yorkers Call 311 About: 3.36 Million Water and Plumbing Complaints

3,355,530 water, plumbing and hot water complaints to NYC 311 since 2020. Half are heat or hot water.…
Gloved hands use a pipe wrench on copper pipe, surrounded by tools and fittings on floor.
Research

The Plumber Wage Ladder: What Federal Percentile Data Shows About Earning Over a Career

Plumber pay runs 44,150 to 108,420 dollars across the federal percentile range. The top half of that span…
A plumber carrying a toolbag along a city sidewalk past apartment buildings, morning light
Research

Plumber Salary by Metro Area: 49 US Metros Ranked on May 2025 Federal Data

Chicago pays plumbers 103,380 dollars and Tampa 52,000. 49 metros ranked on BLS May 2025 data, with earnings…
Copper and PVC pipe fittings, valves, and a pipe wrench on a plywood floor in natural light.
Research

Plumbing Permit Volume: What 437,000 New York Permits Show About Demand

NYC plumbing permits peaked in 2017 and sit 34.5% below it in 2025. Built from two city datasets,…
A wastewater outfall pipe discharging into a river bank with green vegetation
Research

Clean Water Act Violations by State: 804,549 Permitted Facilities in EPA Enforcement Data

EPA wastewater enforcement data for all 51 jurisdictions. 804,549 facilities, 15,968 serious violators. Rates vary 600-fold by state.
A glass being filled with tap water at a kitchen faucet, window light
Research

Drinking Water Violations by State: 431,258 Public Water Systems in EPA Enforcement Data

EPA enforcement data for all 51 jurisdictions. 431,258 systems, 68,281 violations. Why state comparisons measure enforcement practice, not…
Worker adjusting valve wheel in mechanical room with large pipes and backflow preventer assembly.
Research

Commercial Building Water Use: 58,818 Buildings Measured by Type

Water intensity for 44 building types from 58,818 reported building-years of NYC disclosure data, validated against federal CBECS…
A large broken water main gushing water in an excavated street with a backhoe nearby
Research

Water Main Break Statistics: Correcting the Most Miscited Number in US Water Infrastructure

The figure is 260,000 breaks a year, not 240,000, and it covers the US and Canada. Verified data…
Overhead
Research

Plumber Pay vs Other Skilled Trades: Six Occupations Compared on the Same Federal Data

Plumbers and electricians are 610 dollars apart at the median. Six trades compared on one BLS reference period,…
An old dull grey lead water service pipe pulled from the ground lying beside an excavation
Research

Lead Service Lines by State: EPA Projections for All 53 Jurisdictions With Lead or Galvanized Pipe

EPA state projections for all 53 jurisdictions. A third of the 4 million figure is galvanized pipe, not…