Tree Roots vs. Sanitary Sewer Lines
Who is responsible?
Property owners have the responsibility to maintain the lateral from the property line to the home or structure. This includes maintenance of broken or plugged lines, root removal, or any other related problems, as well as the operation of sewer system connections and laterals.
Repair, backups or blockages in laterals extending on private property are the responsibility of the owner to whose property is served by the lateral.
It is important to note that sump pumps MAY NOT be connected to the sanitary sewer system.
When Calling For A Plumber
There are several choices of plumbers. It's a good idea to get price quotes from more than one plumber so you can compare rates. There are many other things to keep in mind once you do select a plumber:
- Most plumbers will charge extra for nights, weekends, and holidays.
- Ask the plumber if his work is guaranteed and for how long.
- Let the plumber know if you have any large trees over your sanitary service line and any history of sanitary sewer problems.
- If you have a long sanitary service line (100 feet or more) you need to ask the plumber if his equipment will be adequate to rod the service line especially if tree roots are involved. A "sewer rod" is a device used to push into an obstruction and break it up or force it out.
The plumber must rod from the clean out all the way to the sanitary sewer main, and from the vent into the house to effectively clean the service line. To effectively clean the sanitary sewer service line, the plumber should use a 4-to-6 inch expanding cutting bit.
What does normal maintenance mean?
The customer is responsible for all normal maintenance of the sanitary sewer service line on private property as well as in the township right-of-way. So the question is: what does normal maintenance mean?
Normal maintenance is the removal of materials that are flushed, dropped or inserted down the sanitary service line — including toys, baby diapers, construction debris, and tree roots that require less than two roddings per year by a licensed plumber.
All problems on private property are the sole responsibility of the customer. If the plumber is unable to restore service and feels the blockage is in the right-of-way, the customer needs to contact the Public Works Department at 610-933-9179 while the plumber is still on site, and a representative will be dispatched immediately.
If the blockage is determined to be in the right-of-way and the plumber can't get through, the township will determine whether another plumber will be contacted at the township’s expense or an excavation will be initiated.
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Quick Facts
The Sewer Division maintains roughly 629,679 feet of underground sanitary sewers and 2 pumping stations. The connected population is 18,000. This maintenance includes:
- scheduled cleaning and televising of sewer mains
- manhole rehabilitation
- pump station operation & maintenance
- root control in sewer mains
- clearing blockages in sewer mains
- clearing sewer easements
Call the township at the time you're having a problem so we can check the sanitary sewer system. We need to know when and where these backups occur so we can determine how to reduce future occurrences. During periods of prolonged heavy rainfalls, it is common to experience slower moving drains until the system catches up. |
