Wasco 24/7 Plumbing Service Area
We dispatch from Wasco to three Kern County towns: Wasco itself, Shafter and McFarland. Each town has its own water utility, its own permit office and its own habits, which changes how a plumbing job should be planned.
Pick your town below, or read on for what actually differs between them.
Start with the town where the problem is
Wasco is covered across the service pages. Shafter and McFarland have their own pages because their water reports and building offices are different.
What differs from town to town
These details come from each city's own published reports and web pages. Rules and reports change, so use this as a map for your questions and confirm the current answer with the city.
| Town and ZIP | Water supply in the city's reports | Where to ask about permits |
|---|---|---|
| Wasco, 93280 | Groundwater wells, six active in the 2022 report. That report does not list hardness. | City of Wasco Community Development or Planning at City Hall, 746 8th Street |
| Shafter, 93263 | Groundwater wells, seven active in the 2025 report. Hardness is listed and varies a lot from well to well. | Shafter Building Department, City Hall, 336 Pacific Avenue |
| McFarland, 93250 | Groundwater wells, three named in recent reports. Hardness is reported as soft. | McFarland Building Division, 401 W. Kern Avenue |
Delano is not in this table. See the note on it further down.
Know your town? Call from there
The line answers in every town on this page, at any hour of the day or night.
Wasco: where the line is based
Wasco has a single ZIP code, 93280, and the business address on State Route 46 sits inside it. The city's sewer code treats the house connection from about a foot outside the building wall to the city main as the property owner's responsibility. So a backup that starts between your house and the main is usually your repair, and a camera look is the first step toward knowing where it is.
That ownership rule is why sewer line repair and a camera inspection come up so often on Wasco calls. Ask the city before assuming a stoppage in the street line is yours, since the main itself belongs to the city.
Shafter: reaching it along State Route 43
State Route 43 connects Wasco and Shafter, a drive of about 8 miles. Shafter's ZIP is 93263, and the Shafter page covers how its housing and water shape the calls we take there.
Two local rules are worth knowing. The Shafter building permits page lists water heaters among its permit types, so a swap there is a permitted job to plan for. The city's plumbing code also bars water piping inside a concrete slab on grade, with exceptions, which affects how a repipe gets routed in slab homes.
McFarland: Highway 99 splits the town
Highway 99 runs through McFarland and, according to the city's history page, divides it into east and west sides. When you call, say which side of the highway you are on and give a cross street. The McFarland page covers ZIP 93250 and its local details.
The city lists water heater replacements among the projects you can apply for through its online permit system. If a tank is failing, replacement should include a conversation about that permit.
Water is not the same three miles apart
Shafter's 2025 report lists average hardness of about 92 ppm, with individual wells ranging from 17 to 207 ppm. McFarland's recent reports show soft water, and Wasco's 2022 report does not list hardness at all. A decision about a softener or filter therefore starts with a test of your own tap, not with a number from a neighboring city.
If your question is about what is in the water for drinking, read your city's annual water quality report and contact the utility. A plumber installs equipment, but we do not diagnose water quality health risks.
A note on Delano
Delano has no page on this site and we are not listing it as a covered town. If you live there, call the line, give the address, and ask whether a visit is possible. You will get a straight answer rather than a promise.
Tell the dispatcher these when you call from any of the three towns
Little things speed up an address check, especially after dark.
- Town and ZIP. 93280 for Wasco, 93263 for Shafter, 93250 for McFarland.
- A cross street. It helps the dispatcher place the property quickly, particularly on a long street.
- Whether it is inside the city limits. A property just outside town may use a different water provider, permit office and sewer arrangement.
- How you get water and sewer service. City water and city sewer follow the town's rules. Wells and septic systems follow different ones.
Coverage questions
Wasco 93280, Shafter 93263 and McFarland 93250. Each town page lists its own ZIP and explains what it covers.
The line answers 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and takes calls from Wasco, Shafter and McFarland. Same-day appointments are offered when available, and the dispatcher tells you honestly what is possible for your address.
Yes, call and give the address. Properties outside city limits may use wells and septic systems, which changes the job, so mention that early in the call.
Permit rules are set by your city or county building department. Replacing a water heater generally needs a permit and inspection, and the plumber can tell you what applies. Use the office named in the table above to confirm.
Not sure your address is covered?
Call and ask. We would rather tell you straight away than have you wait on a visit that cannot happen.