Sewer and Water Line
When you turn on your faucet at home you can get fresh, clean water at your fingertips. It’s delivered directly to you via a water line from the street, under your property, and into your home or building.
The waterline is the line where the hull of a ship meets the surface of the water. While the sanitary sewer is a system of underground pipes that carries sewage from bathrooms, sinks, kitchens, and other plumbing components to a wastewater treatment plant where it is filtered, treated and discharged. The storm sewer is a system designed to carry rainfall runoff and other drainage.
A water-supply line normally fits to use in how many years. But if you notice a sudden drop in water pressure, a discoloration of the water or a recurring wet area in your yard you may have trouble with your water line.
What can cause sewer line damage?
Like any plumbing issue that can plague your plumbing system, sewer line damages have multiple causes. The most common of which include:
Indentation in Lawn or Under Pavers
Another symptom of a broken sewer line is indentation in your lawn or under pavers. A cracked sewer main line that is consistently saturating the ground may cause soil to dissipate. This may cause your lawn to develop an indentation or dip above where your sewage main line runs.
Invasive Roots
One of the top causes for sewer line problems are tree roots. This may be surprising, but roots can extend thousands of feet into and across the ground. These roots extend in search of moisture and they often procure it right from sewer lines. Pipes made out of clay tile are especially prone to invasion as they aren’t as firmly secured as PVC and concrete pipes.
Mold Problem
In addition to sewer odor, mold growth may also be a sign of a break in your sewer lines behind your walls. There are molds that only need the humidity level to be higher than 55% to start growing. Considering that, a cracked sewer pipe behind a wall can cause the humidity levels to rise to a point suitable for a mold problem to begin. If you notice mold growth in your home accompanied by sewer odor then you likely have a break in your sewage drain pipes.
Deterioration
Another common that affects all sewer systems is deteriorating due to old age. Typical problems include breaks, leaks, and buckling. This can occur as a result of the weakening of your piping system. Eventually it will get to the point where your plumbing will no longer be able to sustain the demands of your home.
Septic Waste Pooling in Yard
An obvious sign that you may have a broken sewer pipe would be septic waste water pooling in your yard. The issue may be a broken septic tank, clogged drain fields, or a cracked main line. Often times the problem area is located directly under the pool of sewer water.
Insect Infestation
An insect infestation may also be a symptom of a broken sewer line. Insects such as cockroaches, palmetto bugs, and sewer flies have a much easier time getting through sanitary sewer cracks into your home than rats. According to one reference work the small German cockroach can fit into a crack in your pipes as thin as a dime, while the larger American cockroach will squeeze into a space no thicker than a quarter!
Sewer Gas Odor
If you can smell sewer gas in or around your home or building, this is a tell-tale symptom that there is a crack somewhere in your sewer system. A sanitary sewer should be air tight everywhere with the exception of vent stacks on your roof which allow for the sewage to move downhill. This means that you should never smell sewer odor unless there was a crack or opening in your sanitary sewer lines.
Rodent Problem
Believe it or not a rodent problem may be a sign of a break in your sewer lines. Rats live in sewers and can make their way from your city/main line tie-in to the pipes running behind your walls. An average rat can squeeze through a crack or opening in your sanitary sewer the size of a quarter (about 3/4 inch) and invite themselves to dinner.
Many people don’t know this, but as a homeowner, you’re responsible for the portion of your sewer line that leads from your house to the main sewer lateral under the street. This means that if anytime you have a blockage, clog, root infiltration or another backup in your sewer line. It is time for you to call us so that we can solve that problem as soon as possible.
