Sewer Line Repair & Backups in St. George, UT

Who treats your sewage, and who owns the pipe

The City of St. George's regional plant treats sewage from St. George, Ivins, Santa Clara and Washington, with a design capacity of about 17 million gallons a day (City of St. George, Wastewater Treatment). Hurricane, LaVerkin and Toquerville are served by the Ash Creek Special Service District (Ash Creek Special Service District, About Us). Some homes in Leeds and rural parts of the county use septic systems.

Wherever you live, the building sewer, the pipe from your house to the public sewer, is generally the property owner's to maintain. The city or district maintains the main in the street. If several homes on the street are backing up, call the sewer provider on your bill. If only your house is affected, the problem is almost certainly your line.

Signs of a main line problem

• More than one fixture is slow or backing up.
• Toilets gurgle when a sink or tub drains.
• Water rises in the lowest shower or tub when the washer empties.
• Sewage odors outside, or a soggy spot in the yard over the line.
• The main line has needed clearing more than once in a year.

What goes wrong with sewer lines here

Sags and offsets from shifting ground

The Utah Geological Survey notes that expansive soils swell when wet and shrink when dry, collapsible soils settle when wetted, and gypsum can dissolve and cause subsidence (Utah Geological Survey, Problem Soil and Rock). It identifies expansive soil and rock as the most troublesome construction condition in the St. George-Hurricane area (Utah Geological Survey, Geologic-Hazard Maps for the St. George-Hurricane Area). Ground movement, or poor bedding when the line was laid, can leave a low "belly" where solids collect, or pull joints apart.

Roots

Ornamental trees and shrubs near the line, especially in older neighborhoods, can send roots into joints.

Grease, wipes and scale

Grease and wipes are the most common clog ingredients everywhere. In hard-water homes, scale on the inside of older pipe gives them more to catch on.

Older materials

Older homes near downtown may still have clay or cast-iron sewer pipe. Some 1970s and 1980s homes used ABS plastic, which is generally durable but can be damaged by ground movement or poor installation.

Camera first

A sewer camera run through a cleanout shows exactly what is wrong and where, with video you can keep. It is the best way to choose between cleaning, a spot repair and replacement, and it is worth asking for when buying an older home.

Repair options

• Cleaning and maintenance: cabling or jetting for roots and grease, sometimes on a schedule.
• Spot repair: dig up and replace one broken or bellied section.
• Full replacement: new pipe from the house to the main, by open trench or, where conditions allow, trenchless methods.
• Lining: a cured-in-place liner inside the old pipe can seal cracks and joints, but it follows the existing pipe, so it does not fix a belly.

Sewer work usually needs a permit and may require a connection inspection by the city or district. Ask who handles the permit and how the yard, driveway or landscaping will be restored.

After a backup

Keep people and pets out of the affected area, wear gloves and boots, and throw out porous items that soaked up sewage. Take photos for insurance. Disinfect hard surfaces after cleanup.

Sources: City of St. George, Wastewater Treatment; Ash Creek Special Service District, About Us; Utah Geological Survey, Geologic-Hazard Maps for the St. George-Hurricane Area; Utah Geological Survey, Problem Soil and Rock.