Sewer Excavation in Union City, GA
Tied-in downspouts, abandoned pipes, branch lines from outbuildings and cables laid on the pipe are the usual surprises in a Union City sewer trench, and the city has separate rules for any work that reaches the public sewer.
A camera shows the inside of a sewer line, but it cannot show everything around it. Once a sewer excavation exposes the building sewer, the crew may find things nobody knew were there: a rainwater pipe tied in, a second line running alongside, or a cable laid right on top. Knowing what tends to turn up in a Union City trench, and agreeing in advance how surprises will be handled, keeps the job from stalling halfway.
Rainwater lines tied into the sewer
Older properties sometimes have downspouts, a yard drain or a foundation drain connected straight into the building sewer. During heavy rain that extra water fills the line and can push sewage back toward the lowest drain in the house. Many sewer systems do not want stormwater in the sanitary sewer at all, since it can overload pipes and treatment. If the trench uncovers such a connection, ask the city before reconnecting it, and consider routing the rainwater elsewhere; repairs to yard and foundation drains are a separate drain excavation job.
Old lines and leftover tanks
A trench can cross an abandoned pipe from an earlier sewer route, left in place when the line was rerouted. Usually it can be cut and capped. Less often, a house that was once on a septic system still has the old tank buried in the yard after being connected to public sewer. A tank found during a dig should not simply be covered back up; ask the local health department how it has to be closed.
Lines from other buildings
A detached garage, workshop or guest suite may drain into the same building sewer, joining it somewhere in the yard. If the camera missed that junction, the crew finds it when the pipe is exposed. Any branch like that has to be reconnected to the new pipe with a proper fitting, and it is worth running the camera up the branch while the trench is open.
Utilities sitting on the sewer
Cable, fiber or irrigation lines are sometimes laid in the soft soil of an old sewer trench, directly above the pipe. Georgia 811 marks lines owned by utilities, but not every private line. When the crew finds a line that was not marked, they hand dig around it and protect it while the sewer work goes on underneath.
How surprises should be handled
A find that changes the work should stop the clock for a conversation. The crew shows you what they found, explains the options and puts any change in writing before going further. The estimate should already say how unforeseen conditions are priced and approved. A sewer camera inspection before the dig, with junctions and depth marked, keeps the number of surprises low.
Union City permits, inspections and the sewer connection
The city's Building Permits Division handles plumbing permits, and most projects need one, obtained by the owner or by the contractor. If the job reaches the public sewer, the city code also requires a separate written permit to open or connect to it, and the connection is made under the city's supervision. Where the pipe is cracked but intact, ask whether a liner could replace part of the dig.
Questions about surprises in a Union City trench
What happens if the crew finds a downspout connected to my sewer line?
Expect the crew to stop and show you before anything is reconnected. The usual answer is to keep that rainwater out of the new sewer, letting it out at the surface away from the house or into a separate drain line, and the city can say what it allows. Left tied in, it sends storm water down the sewer every time it rains.
Why can't a sewer camera show everything before the dig?
A sewer camera travels inside the pipe, so it shows cracks, roots and joints but not what lies beside or above the line. A cable resting on the pipe, an abandoned line running alongside or a tank off to one side stays hidden until the soil comes off. A branch junction can show on camera, but only if the camera gets that far and the opening is not packed with debris.
Does my permit expire if the dig is delayed?
It can. Union City says work must begin within 180 days of the permit being issued, or the permit expires. If the project is likely to be delayed by weather, a home sale or other work, keep that window in mind and talk with the city if it looks like the start date will slip past it.
Ready for whatever is down there
Planning a sewer dig at your Union City home and want surprises handled openly? Call Alpha Plumbing and Sewer at (404) 409-4448 to map the line and agree on how unexpected finds will be dealt with.