In-street sewer repair
I came home tonight and saw a puddle of what seems to be putrid water in a depression in the road about 8 feet out from the curb line in front of our house. It seems to be roughly in line with the sewer pipe exit point in our cellar. The water main entry point…
I came home tonight and saw a puddle of what seems to be putrid water in a depression in the road about 8 feet out from the curb line in front of our house. It seems to be roughly in line with the sewer pipe exit point in our cellar. The water main entry point is right next to the sewer exit point though, so I guess the leak in the road could be water rather that sewerage but I doubt it because of the color and the fact that it’s not bubbling up under pressure. No evidence of back-ups in our house, at least not yet.
Who would be responsible for this repair, us or the City? What’s the procedure? Do I call 311 for the City to check it out first? If it falls onto my plate, does anyone have contractor recommendations? Any ideas of cost?
Thanks.
please try to avoid Harris Water Main – never have come across a company so unprofessional. I was bullied into paying for services that were not even needed or completed – after signing a poorly worded contract. Just add exactly the work that you agree on to their contract – or any contract.
I had to break the street in front of my building and replace the sewer line. The joint connecting to the main sewer was broken. A 5 foot by 5 foot hole was dug up in the middle of the street and the pipe replaced. The cost was 7k. I got 3 other estimates from 10k-7k.
Not to panic, John, we had a similar situation with our water main in the early 90’s. My husband called about 10 plumbers from the yellow pages and had them all come at once. They became very competitive in price when they saw each other. I believe we used Harris Water Main and they did an excellent job — didn’t even have to dig anything up in the street. In this market, you might find many people willing to do the job, just like we did.
Update: Had one contractor over and he said it’s almost certainly not the sewer. He said that if water’s pooling in the hole it’s most likely from a water pipe; our sewer waste wouldn’t have enough pressure to rise to the roadway surface. He said the best bet was just to call 311 to get the pothole filled by the DOT. From a friend who used to work for the DEP I gather that if the pothole reappears, the DEP will be called in determine the cause and, if they find it’s the water service between the main and the house, they’ll give me a 3 day notice to instigate the repair. Oh, fun, fun, fun! Right now I’m experiencing a smidgen of condo-envy!
I am no expert and dont know for certain, but I have heard that you are responsible for the pipes leading to and from the sewer main under the street.