Frozen and split pipes in a Cuyahoga Falls house built before 1960
Older Census data (2012 to 2016) puts the median home in Cuyahoga Falls at 1959, and about 52 percent were built in 1959 or earlier. It is the oldest housing stock of the five towns we serve. Homes from that era often have galvanized supply lines, which narrow inside as they rust and give way at joints and fittings when the cold hits.
Northeast Ohio winters swing between freeze and thaw, and a pipe in an exterior wall, a crawl space or an unheated porch is the usual victim. If a faucet drips to nothing in January, treat it as a possible freeze. Keep the heat on and call the 24/7 line before the ice turns into a split.
If you have a burst pipe or an active leak in Cuyahoga Falls
Shut off the main valve
Turn the main water shutoff clockwise until it stops. In a house from the 1950s it may be an old gate valve that sticks, so turn it slowly and never force it.
Kill power near the water
If water is near outlets, the panel or a basement sump cord, stay out of the wet area. Switch power off from a dry spot only, and leave the panel alone if you cannot reach it dry.
Clear the area
Move boxes, rugs and electronics off a basement floor or away from a wet wall. Old plaster and lath soak up water fast, so every minute of moving things helps.
Call the 24/7 line
Call (855) 575-2890 and give the address, the ZIP and what you see. Say if the leak is inside a wall or under the floor, because it changes the tools the plumber brings.
Who owns the leak matters too. If water is coming up in the street or at the city side of the connection, it belongs to the city. If it is on the house side, it is yours. Ask the Cuyahoga Falls Water Department where its responsibility ends. For main breaks the city lists 330-971-8005 on weekdays from 7:30 am to 4 pm, and after hours the police non-emergency line, 330-928-2181.
SpringThaw, heavy rain and backed-up drains
The city keeps its sanitary and storm sewers as two separate systems. About 152 miles of sanitary sewer carry household waste to the Akron Water Pollution Control Facility. Sump pump and downspout water should go to the storm side or the yard, never into the sanitary drain.
Spring is when that rule gets tested. A basement floor drain that gurgles, a toilet that rises when the washer drains or a slow main line often points to a clog in the house sewer. A drain cleaning visit with a camera can show whether the problem is roots, a sagging section or a cast iron pipe flaking inside. Our sewer line cleaning page explains the tools.
Emergency dispatch around the clock
The 24/7 line covers Cuyahoga Falls at 2 a.m. on a Sunday the same as noon on a Tuesday. We offer same-day appointments when available for problems that can wait for daylight.
Its own city water
Cuyahoga Falls serves about 55,000 people in Cuyahoga Falls, Munroe Falls and Silver Lake from its own wells, with about 200 miles of waterline. Stow's water comes from Akron, so the two utilities answer different questions.
Two city ZIP codes
The city uses 44221 and 44223. About 28,500 people and 14,000 housing units are in 44221, and about 18,500 people and 8,900 units are in 44223.
Separate sewers
Sanitary and storm sewers do not mix here, so a backed-up drain is worth a camera look first.
Water on the floor in Cuyahoga Falls?
Call the 24/7 line and a dispatcher will arrange a licensed plumber for your address.
Water heaters, scale and the softener question
The city's 2025 water quality report gives finished water a hardness of 100 to 130 ppm, which it describes as a blend of softened and unsoftened water. About two-thirds of the filtered water is softened by ion exchange before blending. That means scale builds on heating elements and tank bottoms more slowly than in harder-water towns.
If your tank water heater is rumbling, leaking at the base or running out of hot water, water heater repair is the first call. Before buying a home softener, read the city's current report on its Water Department page. Partly softened water may not need one.
| Topic | Cuyahoga Falls | Stow |
|---|---|---|
| Water supply | City utility, wells in Water Works Park | Bought from the City of Akron, surface water |
| Water hardness | 100 to 130 ppm, a softened and unsoftened blend (2025 city report) | About 7 grains per gallon on average (2024 city report) |
| Water break contact | 330-971-8005 weekdays, police non-emergency line after hours | 330-689-5700 for a water main break |
| Sewer layout | Separate sanitary and storm systems | County provides sanitary sewer, ask Summit County Environmental Services |
| Home age | Median built 1959 (older Census data) | Median built 1980 (older Census data) |
| Permit questions | City Engineering or Summit County Division of Building Standards | City of Stow Building Department |
Service lines, repipes and getting ready before the first freeze
Autumn is the season to look at the pipe between the street and your house. The city publishes a service line material inventory you can search by address. Lines that are lead, unknown or galvanized downstream of lead get annual notices. The city says EPA requires non-copper lines to be replaced within 10 years and that a replacement program is in development.
Look up your address before any water service line repair or repipe, and do not assume a result for a house you have not checked. If the supply lines inside are galvanized and pressure has faded, repiping may beat another patch, and a plumber can compare the options once they see the pipes.
Downtown and older buildings
Cuyahoga Falls has a Downtown Historic District with design guidelines. Older buildings there often mean older piping, and exterior changes may need design review. Ask the city before any exterior work.
On permits, the city's page lists Engineering permits for water taps, sanitary and storm sewer taps and replacing water service. Other building matters may go to the Summit County Division of Building Standards. Ask the City of Cuyahoga Falls Engineering Department or the Summit County Division of Building Standards before work starts. For a hidden pipe leak that you cannot find, see leak detection. For nearby service, we also cover Munroe Falls, which shares the same water system, and Hudson.
QuestionsQuestions Cuyahoga Falls callers ask us
For a main break in the street, the city lists 330-971-8005 on weekdays from 7:30 am to 4 pm. After hours the city says to call the police non-emergency line, 330-928-2181.
A leak on the house side is the homeowner's. Ask the Water Department where its responsibility ends, then call us for the repair.
Yes. The 24/7 line takes calls at night, on weekends and on holidays. A dispatcher records the address and the problem, then arranges a licensed plumber. We offer same-day appointments when available for problems that can wait.
We cover both city ZIPs, 44221 and 44223. About 28,500 people live in 44221 and about 18,500 in 44223 (ACS 2024). Tell the dispatcher your street address and we handle the rest.
No. Cuyahoga Falls runs its own utility from wells, while Stow buys water from Akron. The city's 2025 report gives hardness of 100 to 130 ppm for a softened and unsoftened blend. Check that report before choosing a home softener.
The city publishes a service line material inventory you can search by address. Lines that are lead, unknown or galvanized downstream of lead get annual notices. We cannot say what any one home has, so check your address first.
Rules vary by job. Ask the City of Cuyahoga Falls Engineering Department or the Summit County Division of Building Standards before work starts. Your plumber can tell you what the job involves, and the offices decide what is required.