Plumbing in Prunedale

Prunedale at a glance

Prunedale is an unincorporated community of 18,885 people (2020), about 8 miles north of Salinas, with a rural feel in most areas.

What that means for your plumbing

Many Prunedale homes are on larger lots with wells and septic systems. Pressure tanks, pumps and septic lines are common needs; see sewer line repair. Older homes off San Miguel Canyon Road and Langley Canyon Road often sit far from the street.

Hills and canyons

Homes along the canyons run long service lines that can leak unnoticed. Oak-covered slopes put roots close to septic tanks and leach lines.

Plums that didn't grow

Plum trees were planted early on but died for lack of irrigation and fertilizer, though the name stuck. Charles Langley, a Watsonville banker, ran the post office that opened in 1894, and Highway 101 was rerouted through Prunedale in 1931 and 1932. Rural homes here need a plumber who knows wells and septic; see leak repair. The old route of the highway, San Juan Grade Road, still winds through the area.