Plumber in Wapato

Wapato at a glance

Wapato is a town in the Lower Yakima Valley with 4,607 people at the 2020 census. It was founded in 1885 as a stop on the Northern Pacific Railroad, then called Simcoe, and incorporated in 1908.

What that means for your plumbing

Wapato has homes built across more than a century, from early town lots to newer houses. Older homes may have cast iron drains that crack and rust inside, causing slow drains and smells. A camera inspection shows the condition of the line; see sewer and septic lines.

Irrigation country

Agriculture became the big business in Wapato after the Irwin Canal was built in 1896. Farm properties around town often have irrigation connections, wells and outbuildings with water lines. Drain outdoor lines before the first freeze and check them again before spring.

A new name in 1903

Because of confusion with nearby Fort Simcoe, the town changed its name to Wapato in 1903. The name comes from a Chinook Jargon word for an edible root. Around the same time, McCredy and George Rankin laid out the town site, opened its first bank and began selling lots, and from 1905 a Japanese community grew up here too. A town laid out more than a century ago often has older service lines running from the street to each house. If water pressure is low or the water looks rusty, have a plumber check the line from the meter to the house.