About 55% of Selma's homes were built before 1980, so original galvanized and copper supply pipe is common, especially in the older historic districts. A repipe replaces those lines with PEX or copper. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Selma.
Selma in brief
Selma's median home was built in 1974, per Census survey data. The Downtown Selma and West Selma historic districts hold many of the oldest houses. Selma's main water system runs on town wells and is disinfected with chlorine; a separate Selma-Countyline system distributes surface water bought from Johnston County East. The 2025 report shows no lead at the 90th percentile in the main system, along with a violation for lead service line inventory reporting, and a disinfection byproduct (TTHM) violation in the Countyline system. Those are system matters the town is responsible for. The pipe inside your house is yours.
What to do now
- Find out which system you're on. Your bill or the town can tell you whether it's the main system or Countyline.
- Look at your pipe. Gray threaded metal is galvanized; reddish metal is copper; gray plastic marked PB is polybutylene.
- Track the problems. Leaks in different rooms over a few years point to the pipe, not a single fitting.
- Read the town's report. It explains the violations and what the town is doing.
- Get a plumber's opinion. Ask whether a partial or full repipe fits the house.
Signs and causes
| Sign | Probable cause |
|---|---|
| Rusty water from both taps | Corroding galvanized pipe |
| Low pressure at every fixture | Scale narrowing old pipe |
| Pinhole leaks in copper | Slow internal corrosion over decades |
| Leaks at gray plastic fittings | Failing polybutylene |
What affects the cost
- Size of the house and fixture count
- Crawl space or slab
- Material choice
- Replacing the main shutoff and fixture valves
- Patching walls and floors
For permits, the first step in Selma is zoning approval from the Town of Selma, followed by Johnston County Building Inspections in Smithfield. The plumber normally handles both. In the older historic-district houses, ask how the new lines will be routed. Running them from the crawl space usually means fewer openings in plaster walls, and replacing the old shutoff valves at the same time saves a separate visit later. If a house has had additions over the years, the plumber may find that only the original section still has old pipe, which keeps the job smaller.
Repiping questions in Selma
Why does water pressure drop in houses with galvanized pipe?
Do I need a permit to repipe, and who issues it?
Could an older house here have lead somewhere in the plumbing?
Why does copper pipe develop tiny leaks?
More plumbing services in Selma
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