Yes. First step is to have a contractor take out a permit at your town’s Engineering Department. After it is approved, you will also be required to execute a hold harmless agreement which holds the town harmless in the event the town’s drainage system backs up into your property. This hold harmless agreement can be obtained at the Engineering Department.

Yes. Having this type of work inspected is not only required, it is smart. Believe it or not, inspectors are there for your protection. Engineered Septic & Sewer has all excavation work inspected by the local plumbing authorities and guarantees all their work.

We will work to make sure your service is reconnected each evening before we leave, even if the trench is still open.

Generally, there are three common types of sewer connection replacement: open cut excavation, horizontal boring, and re-lining. Open cut excavation involves digging an open trench and replacing the existing sewer lateral with new PVC pipe.  Horizontal boring is done by digging two pits and boring a horizontal hole between the pits slightly larger than the diameter of the PVC pipe to be installed.  The PVC pipe is then pushed through the hole to create a new sewer lateral.  Relining is a separate process that doesn’t involve digging. At Engineered Septic & Sewer, we can help you with open cut excavation and horizontal boring.

The most common cause of sudden onset or intermittent dirty water is rusty pipes. Pressure fluctuations inside the water pipes, especially if the service has been off for a time and then turned on and off, tend to loosen the rust that has been clinging to the inner walls of the pipes. The rust comes in contact with flowing water and an off color will appear brown. To eliminate anything in the water, you must first find the source. If only the hot water side is colored, it may mean a bad water anode rod. You may need a plumber to address this possibility. Also, flushing the hot water tank is sometime recommended to improve its life. Galvanized pipes are also a cause of dirty water and normal use usually will aid in keeping your water clear and fresh. However, flushing your homes water system and normal use seems to be the best method in clearing up dirty water concerns.

A belly is simply a low spot that collects water and/or paper debris which can ultimately cause a blockage.

A clean out is an access point to your sewer. They are usually located around the perimeter of the home within two feet, or in the basement. Sometimes it will be located below the landscaping, so you may have to dig a little to find it.

A sewer video inspection is a process which uses digital video monitoring to inspect your sewer connection. Usually, a camera sewer scope will take about 30-45 minutes and will include an extensive diagnostic of your pipes current condition. We will let you know about any root intrusions, belly’s, cracked pipes, etc. If you have an exterior cleanout and it is accessible from outside the home, it is not necessary for anyone to be there. If access can only be obtained through an interior cleanout or toilet, someone will need to meet us on site.

Without visiting the site and gathering information about the specific sewer lateral and sewer main in question, it would be impossible to quote a firm price for the repair/replacement work.  Engineered Septic & Sewer offers no charge/no obligation estimate visits.  Our owner, David Acheychek, will inspect the site, gather information from the property owner and then prepare a quote for the proposed solution.

If your house is connected to sanitary sewers, it is connected to a town sewer main in the street by means of a sewer lateral line. Your town should have records of where the sewer lateral is connected at the main sewer in the street but most likely has no records of where the lateral runs to the house. If you are the property owner, you are responsible for installation and any maintenance or replacement of the lateral sewer from the house all the way to its connection to the main within the roadway.

All of these drains are considered to be transmitting rain water and should be connected to the public storm drain system. In some cases, there may not be an available connection into the public’s storm drain system near your property. In those cases your drains may be directed onto your lawn or yard via a splash-block, may be directed into an underground infiltration trench, or handled some other way on your property. In no circumstances should your drains be connected into the sanitary sewer system.

Call us! We can help diagnose the problem. Typically the problem is not with the city or town’s sewer main in the street. Blockage can be caused by root intrusion or disjointed pipe in the sewer lateral, which runs from the main to your house.  Most homes have a sewer access point, or cleanout, near the sidewalk.  Some homes have another immediately outside the house.  Unfortunately, even if you have one of the cleanouts, they are buried under grass or landscaping. We can find these access points, run a TV camera into your pipe to diagnose and then a root cutter to fix the problem.

The most obvious reason is to avoid a potential sewer issue. At some point, most home sewer or water connections require maintenance and without knowing what type and how often, the sewer and drain lines become neglected. We can not only pinpoint a potential concern, we can also recommend a maintenance plan and arm you with the knowledge to be proactive about your sewer and drain lines.

In a word, no. We take great effort to only dig where it’s necessary and put down plywood to keep your yard clean and free of machine ruts and tracks.

If your question isn’t asked and answered here, please contact us. Who knows – maybe your question will be added to our FAQ!