Repairing Broken Sewer Lines

A broken or damage sewer line is a serious matter that requires immediate attention.  Your sewer line collects and routes all of the waste water from your home into the municipal sewer main line, including untreated sewage.

A broken or damaged sewer line allows raw sewage to escape into the ground where it may leach to the surface or deeper into the soil where it can contaminate groundwater.  In either case, the raw sewage is not only imposes a health and environmental hazard, but also exposes you to legal liability.

A sewer line repair is one of those jobs best left to a sewer-septic professional who has experience in sewer line service and repair.  Although replacing a broken pipe that’s buried in your yard sound simple, sewer lines have complicating factors that weigh in favor of hiring a professional.  The contaminated soil must be disposed of properly, and no matter what repair method is used, it will involve specialized tools and equipment.

Locating the line, avoiding cutting any utilities while digging, and sizing, connecting, and installing the repair section so that it works properly, lasts for years, and complies with local building codes all add to the challenge.

The traditional method of repairing a sewer line is to dig a large deep trench to expose the old sewer line, remove the damaged section, then splice in a new section of pipe  Unfortunately, this method destroys your yard, driveway, sidewalks.  Also, this method is only effective if the undamaged sections of pipe are still structurally sound.

Trenchless sewer line repairs include dragging a new section of pipe through the old pipe, and spraying a hard liner inside the old pipe to create a new inner surface.  Check with your sewer-septic professional to see if either of these methods are appropriate for your situation.

Why is a Septic Tank Called “Septic”?

The term septic relates to the ability of oxygen to survive in an area.

When you have a self contained, home sewer system, you need a waste water tank.  The average American makes about 50 gallons of waste water daily, from showers and baths, washing dishes and clothing, and using the toilet.  A waste water tank is needed to collect this fluid.  This tank separates the large solids and allows for decomposition.  A soil filter helps remove the small or fine solids, and natural processes destroy the bacteria.

A septic tank is a tank that is anaerobic, meaning that it does not need air or oxygen intake.  Another type of waste water tank is called an aerobic tank  The aerobic tank actually uses an air agitator to help dissolve the solid wastes.

Bacteria are the reason the solids are dissolved.  These digestive processes release a gas.  If you have a septic tank that is ‘smelly’, that means an air leak has occurred, and you need to call a sewer-septic professional immediately to prevent further damage from occurring.

There are many different types of septic systems.  The most common design for residential homes has a two part system:  the waste water storage and treatment tank (the septic tank) and the drain field or leach field.  The drain field allows drainage of treated effluent to return to the soil.  In no circumstance is untreated or raw sewage ever placed back in the soil in your yard.  The only maintenance required in a properly installed and operating sewer septic system is the regular ‘pumping out’ of the septic tank itself every few years.