Plumbing in Providence is a shared stack, an old service, and a basement that knows the rivers. A third-floor leak finds two ceilings on the way down. Galvanized branches run rusty. Low streets near the bay and the river confluence take backups when rain loads the system. A sump that runs through a coastal storm needs a discharge that leaves the building. Say whether you are seeing supply water, waste, or weather.
Gurgles when another fixture runs are often a vent. Old metal lines still enter cellars. Do not scrape them. Know the shutoff for the unit and the building if you can find both. Valves that have sat since the house was last opened may weep the first time they turn. Disposals on small stacks clog at the same fitting. Basement baths near the main cleanout are the first to tell you the lateral is in trouble.
A stain that grows after a nor'easter and fades in a dry week may be a roof leader in the wall, not a supply line. Say that clearly so the wrong trade does not open the plaster. Radiator drips are heat piping and still ruin the ceiling below. Hot water tanks in damp basements fail at the bottom and walk across the floor into a party wall. If the boiler makes the hot water, say so.
Pressure that drops when another floor draws is a riser, not a city-wide event. Hose bibs freeze after the cold that follows a wet storm. A shower that never had a real trap vent will smell, and the smell is worse when the cellar is damp. Mention any old waste system you know about on the property. Not every block is on the same arrangement.
Name the neighborhood, the floor, and the symptom. Mention the ceiling below and whether rain changes it. Active water and an old stain are different levels of hurry. Call the number on this page.