Express Sewer & Drain Blog

Municipal sewer line damage can be a costly and frustrating problem to deal with. Road closures, expensive digging, and long labor hours all add up to high, and often unpredictable, final price tags. 

Despite this, there are several things you should consider that can help you not only get the most effective repair possible but also the most affordable. In this blog, we break down four helpful tips you can use to get the best possible deal on your municipal sewer line repair.

What is Municipal Pipe Repair?

Municipal pipe repair is a crucial aspect of maintaining the infrastructure and ensuring the smooth functioning of a city. These pipes, which are responsible for carrying water and other essential resources to our homes and businesses, can often deteriorate over time due to various factors such as age, weather conditions, and general wear and tear. As a result, it becomes necessary for municipalities to regularly inspect and repair these pipes to avoid any potential disasters or inconvenience to the community.

The process involves identifying damaged or weakened sections of the pipe through advanced technologies like CCTV inspection, followed by repairing or replacing them to prevent further damage. By investing in municipal pipe repair, cities can improve their overall water quality, reduce wastage, and ensure a safe and sustainable supply for their residents.

4 Steps for Cost-efficient Pipe Repair

A sewer line break can not only wreak havoc for Sacramento residents, but it can also cost a ton of money to resolve. Here are some tips to make the process as affordable as possible. 

1. Determine the Extent of Damage

The first thing you should do to find the most affordable repair for municipal pipe damage is to determine the true extent of the damage. Of the various methods that professional plumbing organizations can use to do this, the most effective is almost always video inspection. Video inspection, which can be completed remotely from the surface via a CCTV van, removes the guesswork from municipal sewer repair and identifies not only the cause of damage but also the full extent of the damage.

For municipal sewer repair purposes, this can have huge implications on cost; for instance, fixing an entire sewer line would require more work and time than a short segment of pipe, or single-point intrusion. In cases of isolated or contained pipe damage, there’s no reason to replace the entire pipeline. Video inspection gives valuable insight into the most affordable sewer repair solution.

Sewer video inspection can detect any and all of the following types of pipe damage:

• Root intrusion or burrowing
• Cracking or deformity, due to age, temperature, or the elements
• Full pipe collapse
• Material pipe blockage

2. Fully Evaluate Your Options

What some people don’t realize when it comes to municipal sewer line repair is the scope of repair options available. Municipal and city sewer renovations today include more than traditional dig-and-replace methods; innovative new techniques, such as pipe lining and point repair, can come at a fraction of the cost of municipal pipe replacement in certain situations.

These types of repairs, which are completed using trenchless technologies (as in, there’s little/no “trenching,” or digging, required), eliminate much of the labor and material costs associated with municipal sewer repair. 

The most affordable repair in a given situation is almost always circumstantial; sewer pipe depth, damage extent, and the cause of damage all play a factor in overall costs. This is why video inspection equipment proves particularly valuable in municipal sewer repair.

3. Consider Road Closure and Other Outside Costs

Municipal sewer pipe repairs differ from home and commercial pipe repairs in that the surface disruptions in municipal projects are a great deal more severe than in other projects. While for the home pipe repair, trees driveways, and sidewalks may cause problems, entire sections of the road may be shut down and excavated in city sewer repair.

Not only does shutting down and digging through a road for pipe repair disrupt traffic, but it can also cost an excessive, unforeseen amount to fill that road or sidewalk back in. It’s for this reason that many lean toward trenchless technologies, such as general lining or sectional point repair when major road renovations are involved.

4. Future Care for Municipal Sewer Pipes

One of the best ways to ensure that municipal sewer pipes perform well and are incident-free for years to come is by taking a preventative stance. Municipalities can avoid needing repairs altogether by encouraging better sewer care practices and acting quickly when minor problems turn up. Consider taking the initiative to inform those in your municipal sewer network of items that should and should not be disposed of in-home and commercial drains, such as flushable wipes, which cost some cities millions of dollars annually in equipment and sewer repair.

Call Express Sewer for a Pain-Free Pipe Repair

In many cases, sewer line failure is the result of a minor problem left unattended. When performance or structural issues arise, assessing the problem quickly can lower your risk of all-out sewer line failure. 

At Express Sewer & Drain, we pride ourselves on repairing broken sewer lines on time and within your budget. Call us today to learn more about our municipal services.