Where Arlington sits and how its blocks are laid out
Wikipedia describes Arlington as a neighborhood in the northwestern part of Kearny, on a ridge between the Meadowlands and the Passaic River. It sits inside the Kearny Uplands, the residential part of town. The Belleville Turnpike (Route 7) separates it from North Arlington.
Gridded streets
The homes.com neighborhood guide describes long, gridded streets. Chestnut Street, Devon Street, Elm Street, Forest Street, Davis Avenue and Schuyler Avenue are among the streets that guide and City-Data list for Arlington.
Parks and landmarks
Hickory Park, Gunnel Oval, Arlington Memorial Park on Schuyler Avenue and the Riverbank Park shoreline are the places residents use to describe where they live. Kearny High School anchors the south side, per homes.com.
No official borders
We found no official map of Arlington's edges, and sources draw them a little differently. We treat an address as Arlington when the street is on the grid between Kearny Avenue and Route 7, and we ask you to confirm the address on the call.
What the housing looks like, and why it matters for plumbing work
The homes.com guide puts the median year built in Arlington at 1920 and describes low ranch-style houses, two-story colonials and Victorians, and a lot of new construction of two- and three-family buildings. City-Data's estimates show about 36 percent of housing units as detached houses, about 28 percent in two-unit buildings and about 16 percent in three- and four-unit buildings. Both are third-party estimates, not official counts.
A building with two or three apartments has one water service and often one building drain with several branches. That does not mean anything is wrong with it. It does mean the first question on a call is which unit, which fixture and where the shutoffs are, and that a clog in one kitchen can show up in another unit's floor drain.
City-Data's profile also lists utility gas as the main heating fuel for about two thirds of homes in the neighborhood. When a gas water heater needs work, the venting and gas line matter as much as the tank, which is why water heater replacement should be planned with the permit in mind.
Common Arlington building types and the first plumbing questions
This table is a planning aid for calls from this area. It describes building types, not defects we expect to find.
| Building type | First question we ask | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Single-family house, basement | Where is the main shutoff and the floor drain? | A shutoff within reach limits water damage while you wait |
| Two-family house | Which unit has the problem, and do the units share a drain stack? | A shared stack decides whether to cable one branch or the main |
| Three-family or new construction | Who controls the building main and each unit's valve? | Isolating one unit avoids shutting water off for everyone |
| Older house with a remodeled bath | Was the work permitted, and where do old and new pipe meet? | Mixed pipe materials are where leaks and fittings need a close look |
A guide, not a diagnosis. The plumber confirms the cause on site and gives a clear price before work starts.
While you wait: a backup or a leak in an Arlington building
Do these in order, and stop at any step that puts you near standing water and electricity.
Stop adding water
Stop running sinks, showers, washers and dishwashers. In a multi-unit building, tell the other units too, because one drain can carry all of them.
Find the shutoff
For a leak, close the main valve where the water line enters the building. For a sewage backup, there is no valve to close, so keep water use off and keep people out of the area.
Call the right party
If sewage is backing into the building, Kearny DPW checks the main sewer line. If the main is flowing, the lateral on your property is the owner's responsibility and needs a plumber.
Call us
Call (973) 488-5410 with the cross street, the unit or floor and what you see. That lets the crew bring the right cable, valve or fittings the first time.
Plumbing problem in Arlington?
Call (973) 488-5410, tell us the cross street and the unit, and we will talk through the next step with a clear price before work starts.
Call (973) 488-5410Services Arlington owners and landlords ask about
Slow or blocked drains are a typical reason to call a plumber in any building, and a building with several fixtures on one line has more places for a clog to form. Our drain cleaning clears sinks, tubs and floor drains, and when a clog keeps returning we can look at the line with a camera before recommending anything bigger.
When a house gets a new bath, a converted basement unit or a new two-family build, the work is plumbing installation, and it needs a permit and inspections. A leaking supply line inside a wall is a leak detection job first, so the repair opens only the spot that needs it.
Kearny rules that apply on Arlington streets
Kearny's Construction Code Enforcement office says a new or replacement hot water heater needs a zoning permit and a construction permit with the plumbing subcode, and that all permits require an inspection. State rules require a construction permit for plumbing work on existing buildings, with an exemption only for ordinary maintenance such as routine repair.
For a sewage backup, the Kearny Department of Public Works checks the town's main line. The property owner is responsible for maintaining and repairing the lateral sewer line. Permit rules vary, so ask the construction code office about your specific job.
Plumbing plans in Kearny must follow the National Standard Plumbing Code, 2024 edition, according to the town's construction code page, and every permit receives an inspection. That applies to a new bath in a converted basement as much as to a replacement water heater.
Source: Kearny Construction Code Enforcement and Department of Public Works pages and NJ Uniform Construction Code summary
Water supply and your service line
The Town of Kearny Water Department runs the distribution system, and Veolia handles meter reading, billing and customer service. Kearny buys its water from the North Jersey District Water Supply Commission. The Veolia number for a main break or street leak is (201) 955-7406.
The town posts a lead service line inventory with an address lookup on its water department page. Lines marked Lead or Galvanized Requiring Replacement are prioritized, and Unknown lines are treated as possibly lead until verified. If your building is on the list, ask the town before you plan work on the service line, and see our notes on water service line repair.
Arlington and the streets around it
Manor Section is the neighboring area on the other side of Kearny Avenue, and our page for the Manor Section of Kearny covers it. Across Route 7 is a separate town, and our North Arlington page has its own water and code notes.
Frequently asked questions
Arlington is the gridded neighborhood in northwest Kearny between Kearny Avenue and the Belleville Turnpike, inside the Kearny Uplands. We found no official borders for it, so confirm your address on the call. All Arlington addresses use ZIP 07032.
No. North Arlington is a separate Bergen County borough with its own government and water supply. Route 7, the Belleville Turnpike, is the line between them.
Call a plumber for the drain, and if sewage is backing up, also let Kearny DPW check the main line. If the main is flowing, the lateral is the owner's responsibility.
Kearny's construction code office says a new or replacement hot water heater needs a zoning permit and a construction permit with the plumbing subcode, and an inspection. Ask the office about your specific job.
Call Veolia at (201) 955-7406 for main breaks, street leaks and hydrant problems. Weekdays 8 am to 4 pm it is answered by staff, and nights, weekends and holidays by a 24/7 answering service.
Not sure whether it is your pipe or the street's? Call us and we will help you sort out who to call first.
Call (973) 488-5410