Sulphur Springs Plumbing, From the 1927 Tower to the River
Sulphur Springs sits about 4.4 miles west-southwest of Temple Terrace City Hall, in ZIP 33604, bounded by Busch Boulevard, Florida Avenue, Rowlett Park and the Hillsborough River. The 1927 water tower on North Florida Avenue marks it, and Tampa annexed the area in 1953.
County records for 2,416 single-family parcels give a median build year of 1952, with 41.6 percent built before 1950. That is the oldest housing in the set of places we cover, with a surge of building in 1920-1928 and another in 1945-1953.
Clay Laterals and Roots, Camera First
Houses from the 1920s near the river may well have original clay or tar-lined laterals, and mature roots find joints in such pipe. A slow main drain here is not always a clog. A camera shows whether the pipe is intact, offset or invaded, and drain cleaning with hydro jetting clears roots from a sound line.
If the camera shows a broken or collapsed pipe, we say so and refer you to a licensed underground utility contractor for excavation. We do not dig sewers, and we will not jet a pipe that jetting would damage further. Supply lines are a separate question, and repiping is priced after the walls are seen.
Camera-First Plumbing for the Oldest Pipes We Serve
- Emergency Plumbing Repairs — A burst line or a collapsed drain in a 1920s cottage gets the water shut off and a written price before any repair starts.
- Plumbing Repairs — Corroded shutoffs, weeping valves and slow stacks are the standard repairs in houses plumbed before the 1950s.
- Plumbing Installation — A bath or kitchen update in a cottage starts with locating the original drains, vents and shutoffs.
- Leak Detection — A rising Tampa bill in a pre-1950 house is pressure-tested and listened for before any plaster or tile is opened.
- Water Heater Repair & Replacement — Small cottages often have a closet or point-of-use heater, and we size replacement to the actual hot-water demand.
- Repiping (PEX) — A repipe quote in a 1920s cottage is written after we see what the walls hold, with PEX run through existing cavities where possible.
- Drain Cleaning & Hydro Jetting — Clay laterals invaded by roots are cleared by cable or hydro jetting only after a camera confirms the pipe can take it.
Old Mains, a 1927 Tower and Tampa Rules
Tampa supplies water and sewer, with hardness at 211 mg/L and chloramine at 3.6 ppm, and the city says cast iron laid in the 1940s-1960s lasts 80 to 100 years. A pressure drop that affects the whole block, or brown water at every tap, may be a main issue; call 813-274-8811. Our who-to-call post explains the split.
The water-tower point maps in FEMA zone AE at about 5.8 feet, while grid points a few blocks north sit at 27-30 feet, so low spots exist but most of the area is minimal-hazard. Sulphur Springs Addition, Manor Hills and Evelyn City are among the larger plats. Compare Temple Crest.
Sulphur Springs Plats From the 1900s Onward
Plats in Sulphur Springs go back to 1902, which makes this the oldest housing among the Tampa-side areas on this site.
- Sulphur Springs Addition — 486 homes averaging 1959, with the earliest built in 1915, so supply and drain ages vary widely.
- Manor Hills — 224 homes averaging 1959, with the earliest built in 1922, mixing 1920s and postwar houses.
- Evelyn City — 161 homes averaging 1944, with the earliest built in 1921, among the oldest-averaging plats here.
- Riverbend — 67 homes averaging 1943, built from 1922 onward, the oldest-averaging plat listed here.
- Avon Springs — 104 homes averaging 1964, with the earliest dated to 1902, so ages range from 1902 to the 1960s.
- Spring Hill Addition — 94 homes averaging 1968 on the corrected map, a later infill group in the neighborhood.
- Irvinton Heights — 90 homes averaging 1969, one of the younger plats in Sulphur Springs.
- Warner Subdivision — 79 homes averaging 1957, a mid-century plat among the older ones in the neighborhood.
- Oaks at Riverview — 56 homes built in 2007-08, newer than the surrounding plats, with 2000s-era plumbing.
Water Tower, Busch Boulevard and Riverfront Parks in Sulphur Springs
A 1927 water tower and four boundary roads or parks are how most Sulphur Springs addresses get placed.
- Sulphur Springs Water Tower — Built in 1927 on N Florida Ave and the neighborhood's best-known reference point.
- Sulphur Springs History and Heritage Museum — Listed alongside the water tower in the neighborhood's Wikipedia entry.
- Busch Boulevard (SR 580) — The neighborhood's northern boundary, a State Road 580 corridor it shares with Temple Crest.
- Florida Avenue — The western boundary of Sulphur Springs, running past the water tower on N Florida Ave.
- Nebraska Avenue and Bird Street — Mark the site of the former Sulphur Springs hotel, per the neighborhood's Wikipedia entry.
- Rowlett Park — The eastern boundary of the neighborhood, listed in its Wikipedia entry.
- Hillsborough River — Forms the southern boundary and is Tampa's primary raw-water source.
- Riverview Terrace Playground — A small playground listed in map data near the water tower.
- Busch Gardens Tampa Bay — About 2.8 miles away, according to the neighborhood's Wikipedia entry.
Sulphur Springs Housing Age, Tenure and Tower-Point Elevation
Sulphur Springs has the oldest housing among the Tampa-side areas here, and the county data show how old.
- The median build year of Sulphur Springs' 2,416 single-family parcels is 1952, and 41.6% were built before 1950. Original galvanized pipe and clay or cast-iron laterals are plausible in houses this old, so a camera inspection is a sensible first step.
- Census tract 13 is 58.9% owner-occupied and tract 12 is 68.0%. Owner-occupied houses and rentals mix, so both homeowner and landlord calls are normal, and scheduling differs between the two.
- The water tower point is in FEMA Zone AE at 5.8 feet, while grid points 0.004 degrees to the north sit at 27 to 30 feet. Low spots by the river deserve thought about backflow protection and heater height, but most of the neighborhood is minimal-hazard.
- Sulphur Springs was annexed into Tampa in 1953, and its plats date from 1902 to 1928. Water and sewer are City of Tampa throughout, and the city rates cast iron laid in the 1940s to 1960s at 80 to 100 years, so older pipe under these blocks is plausible.
- 431 single-family parcels, about 18% of the total, were built between 1920 and 1928. A cluster of 1920s houses means original supply lines and sewer laterals are about 100 years old if never replaced.
Sulphur Springs 33604: slow drains in an old cottage?
Tell us whether it is one fixture or the whole house, and when the house was built. A camera on the main line is the fastest way to learn whether you are fighting a clog or an old pipe.
CALL 813-733-7188Sulphur Springs Questions About Clay Pipe, Old Mains and Cottages
You need a licensed underground utility contractor to excavate and replace the line, since we clean, jet and inspect but do not dig sewers. We give you the recording, the distance to the break and a written finding to show contractors when you collect quotes.
Test several taps and ask a neighbor. If the whole block is weak, it may be the main, and Tampa's line is 813-274-8811. If only your house is weak, the cause is a regulator, a clogged supply line or a stop, which we can find.
Water heater age, shutoffs under sinks and toilets, visible leaks, and the main drain. A camera pass on the sewer line avoids a surprise after the first tenant moves in. Our landlord checklist lists what to inspect each season.
Sometimes. A small electric unit under the sink gives hot water at that fixture without long waits, and fits where plumbing the whole house would be costly. It does not replace the main heater, and we price it against a recirculation line.
Disturbing an old main can stir sediment into the line. Run the cold tap in the tub for several minutes until it clears, and avoid the washer in the meantime. If it persists, report discolored water to Tampa at 813-274-8811.
Tampa Neighbors Along Busch Boulevard
Forest Hills
Northwest of Sulphur Springs, a 1926-1958 neighborhood of owner-occupied ranches around the golf course.
Temple Crest
East along Busch Boulevard, a Tampa neighborhood with the Hillsborough River at its south edge.
Tampa
The overview for anyone whose address sits nearer Fowler Avenue than Busch Boulevard.
Egypt Lake-Leto
West past Dale Mabry, a 1950s-60s plat belt with more rentals and fewer pre-1950 houses.
USF Area
North, an unincorporated area on the same Tampa pipes, with a median single-family build year of 1980.