Otto - Just in case - consider having someone there with a camera. If your plumber determines the truck caused the problem you can document what happened. Better yet, get the master plumber on video explaining any damage caused by the city. The plumber can actually be pointing to the damage.

Hope everything gets wrapped up quickly. I'm sure it's a hassle.

I just spoke with the plumber about it this morning, and he said it given the fact that there was 3 weeks between the work (I got in touch with the wastewater district) and our backed up basement, it would be pretty much impossible to prove they caused the damage. He said the only thing that would have done the job is to have video of the pipes right before and soon after the root clearing job.

We are going to get pictures of the area where the collapse happened, and we'll explore options, but as the lawyers here like to say, "Correlation does not equal causation."

quote:

Originally posted by Otto Pilot:
One interesting bit of trivia that I just found out today. I was talking to our neighbor and she said that about a week ago she thinks the wastewater district was doing something to clean the sewers. she saw a truck out in the street with some hoses down the manhole. She said there was a loud thumping and vibrating emanating from all their plumbing. I have to wonder if whatever they were doing may have collapsed some of our system. Even if it did, there is likely nothing we can do, but still...

Our crew on occasion ran the Jet the wrong way and caused basement to load up on raw sewage. Our insurance paid to have it cleaned up. It does happen, and if was our fault we paid up. Customers that are not happen tend to ruin public meetings and don't hesitate to call the local paper.
Maybe also ask the district to TV the line. If in fact the pipe was old, it is possible their jet did puncture the main and allowed the lines to be undermined.

I can't believe an city would want residents hiring people to do work which includes tearing out and replacing roadways.
I would think that would be a liability they wouldn't want to endure.

quote:

Originally posted by Excam_Man:
I would think that would be a liability they wouldn't want to endure.

Oh no, it's all good. We have to pull a permit, and an inspector will come out and helpfully tell us if we have bungled the job or not. You have to understand though that even though we are smack in the metro Denver area, most of this area is unincorporated Jefferson County, so county rules and attitudes apply. I have been pretty amazed so far by the city and county ordinances related to all this. Two miles away may be a completely different story, but not where we are.

quote:

Originally posted by rtquig:

Maybe also ask the district to TV the line. If in fact the pipe was old, it is possible their jet did puncture the main and allowed the lines to be undermined.

I actually did just get several stills from the video taken as they were running the main. All of them are from our outlet (I have to trust them on this as I gave them absolutely no indication there was a problem with our line I was just curious what our outlet looked like). If it is in fact our outlet it looks very good for its age, and the actual damaged section is quite a ways back from it (i.e. 7-8 feet per the plumber's scope).

We shall see.

That doesn't make sense to me for a privet person having to dig up a public street.
The road repair would have to be done to standards to handle weight...
Way above the normal just fill the hole in thing.

Our house was built in 1908. Huge maple trees in the front yard. The previous owner got the main line roto-rooted every two years, I however am a firm believer in better living through chemistry. I dump copper sulfate down the main line every year, she's a beaut now!

Is one of the trenchless types of repair not possible? I suspect a big chunk of your cost will be repairing the street. The trenchless options cost more than digging, but you aren't dealing with the road repairs afterwords.

quote:

Originally posted by a1abdj:
Is one of the trenchless types of repair not possible? I suspect a big chunk of your cost will be repairing the street. The trenchless options cost more than digging, but you aren't dealing with the road repairs afterwords.

Yes this would be an option but they would need access in the yard by way of a CO (clean out). This would be better way to go as long as the lateral has the correct fall (grade) remember shit rolls down hill.

We don't have an adequate cleanout in the house and none in the yard.

Given the nature of the expansive soils we have and the use of vitreous clay pipe sections to build our main line, a cracked pipe giving way finally, or just settling leading to a break/cave-in are the most likely culprits. Hopefully we'll be able to tell once they get dug down that deep. The asphalts already busted so now it's just the excavation.

We are having a yard cleanout installed, so any future cleaning/scoping/putting a liner will be MUCH easier.

Please have your contractor install a CO or two during the excavation , you will not regret even if you have the whole lateral replaced. The standard is one every 50 foot. Also tell the county/city you would like to have your tap rehabbed it is called a Top Hat, this would be at no cost to you as the homeowner and they will know you did your homework.

Well, it's official. I was there when they got down to the pipe, and the pipe was in pieces. Severe root infiltration had apparently led to the pipe being broken that badly and just our luck, it finally gave way completely a few days ago. Now it's all repaired and new cleanouts installed. Just waiting for the asphalt truck to show up and a final borescope inspection.

quote:

Originally posted by Otto Pilot:
Well, it's official. I was there when they got down to the pipe, and the pipe was in pieces. Severe root infiltration had apparently led to the pipe being broken that badly and just our luck, it finally gave way completely a few days ago. Now it's all repaired and new cleanouts installed. Just waiting for the asphalt truck to show up and a final borescope inspection.

Glad to hear it's all fixed. It sucks having to put so much money into something for your home that you don't get to see. I had to have all of the cast iron drain plumbing changed underneath a 4 plex I own, they tunneled and I got a deal, but at $12k it's still a sore subject.

Glad to hear you headache is almost over.

I got to use my own john this afternoon. My credit card is on fire right now (hooray air miles before I move the necessary money around to pay for it), but at least I can use the can in peace. LOL

Thanks for all the advice and encouragement.

quote:

Originally posted by Otto Pilot:

My credit card is on fire right now (hooray air miles)

Air miles? You need air miles?

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by Otto Pilot:

My credit card is on fire right now (hooray air miles)

Air miles? You need air miles?

I don't jumpseat anywhere important nowadays. Air miles are great business class when my wife and I take the occasional international trip. But that's another story altogether.