Wagaraw Road and the Lower End of Hawthorne
The Passaic County Historical Society says the name Wagaraw once applied to the lower part of what is now Hawthorne, reaching toward Fair Lawn. The first permanent homes there date to the early 1700s. Today the name survives mostly on Wagaraw Road, so we use the road as the anchor for this page.
Housing across the borough skews older. The Census survey puts the median year built at 1953, and about a quarter of housing units are in two-unit buildings. Those are borough-wide figures, not a count for this road, but they explain why we ask a few questions first: how old the pipes are, and whether the building has one owner or two.
A Road With Homes and Businesses
Wagaraw Road carries both residential and commercial properties, so a call from here could be a kitchen sink or a storefront restroom. Tell us which it is, and whether you rent or own. That decides who can approve the work and who holds the shutoff keys.
If your building has tenants, find the main shutoff before you need it. For a business, our commercial plumbing page covers what we handle and how to describe your space.
Common Calls From Wagaraw Road and What to Do First
General guidance for older buildings. It does not describe how often any of these happen on this road.
| What you see | Likely cause | Do this first |
|---|---|---|
| Drains slow or gurgling after a storm. | Line blocked or overloaded during heavy rain. | Stop using water and keep out of the basement. |
| Rusty or stained fixtures. | Iron in the water or aging pipe. | Note which taps and call us. |
| Wet ceiling under a bathroom. | Supply or drain leak above. | Shut the main valve and call. |
| Water heater leaking at the base. | Tank has failed. | Shut the cold supply to the heater. |
A backup that returns after rain often points to the main line, and drain cleaning or a sewer inspection can show why. For a stubborn blockage, hydro jetting may be the better tool.
Water Backing Up After a Storm? Do This Now
The borough's environmental inventory records that Tropical Storm Henri flooded Wagaraw Road between May Street and Goffle Road on August 22, 2021. If heavy rain is filling your street or basement, take these steps.
- Stop running water, flushing and using the washer, because the line may already be full.
- Stay out of any basement with water near the electrical panel, and call 911 if you feel unsafe.
- Do not use a floor drain that is bubbling or overflowing.
- Call us once it is safe so we can tell whether the problem is your line or the street.
If sewage is coming up in the house, keep children and pets out and wash your hands after any contact.
Where the Borough Draws Water Near Wagaraw Road
Hawthorne's water comes from 21 wells, and two of the borough's wellfields are named for this road: Wagaraw Road and South Wagaraw. The South Wagaraw station uses a greensand filter to take out iron and manganese. Rusty stains at a tap can still come from old pipe inside the house, so we check both.
Hardness at several borough plants runs from 236 to 278 ppm in the borough's report, so scale on fixtures is common advice here. Because the borough pumps from many wells into one system, we cannot say which one serves your address, and you can ask Public Works for the current report.
How a Call From Wagaraw Road Goes
The process is the same whether it is a house or a shop.
You call
Tell us the address, what you see, and whether you rent or own.
We diagnose
The plumber finds the cause and explains the options before starting work.
We fix and confirm
The repair is tested before we leave, and we say what to watch for afterward.
Wagaraw Road on the Map
The map is centered on Wagaraw Road. If your address is past the Fair Lawn line, see our Fair Lawn page for that town's permit office and water supply.
Wagaraw Plumbing Questions
Yes. Call with your address and a short description of the problem. We will tell you what to do first, and what the visit would involve.
No. Wagaraw is an older name for the lower part of Hawthorne, and the name now lives on Wagaraw Road. It is part of the borough, with the same building department and water system as the rest of town.
That depends on your lease and local rules, and we are not lawyers. As a practical step, tell us up front that there are two units so we can find both shutoffs. We will explain the work to whoever is authorized to approve it.
The South Wagaraw station filters iron and manganese, so stains can come from old pipe inside the building instead. Tell us which fixtures stain and whether it is hot water, cold water or both. That narrows down whether it is the pipe, the heater or the water.
Stop using water, stay out of a wet basement if the panel is nearby, and call. A backup after heavy rain can be your line, a blockage or the street. We can inspect the line and tell you which.
Local figures on this page come from the Hawthorne Water Department's 2026 Water Quality Report, the borough's Environmental Resource Inventory and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey estimates. Check current numbers with those sources before you rely on one.