frequently asked questions

Yes. A root-cutting head on a cable machine, or a jetter nozzle, clears the mass from inside the pipe. Roots return through the same crack, though, so lining or repairing that section is what actually keeps them out.

Cured-in-place liners are engineered for a 50-year service life, and the cured resin will not rust, corrode, or rot the way cast iron and clay eventually do. Thorough cleaning beforehand and a properly monitored cure determine the real service life you get.

For most residential laterals, yes. Lining creates a jointless pipe inside the host pipe, eliminating the joints where roots and leaks begin. A fully collapsed or severely offset line still calls for open excavation or pipe bursting instead.

It shows the inside of the line in real time: cracks, offset joints, root intrusion, standing water in a belly, grease coating, and the exact footage where each defect sits. That recorded footage decides where, and whether, any digging happens at all.

On any property built before 1980, it is worth doing. Laterals belong to the property owner, so a failed line found after closing becomes the buyer's responsibility. A camera inspection takes under an hour and settles the question.

Sewer odor indoors, a patch of unusually green grass, soggy ground along the line, new foundation cracks, and drains that slow together. Rodent or insect activity suddenly appearing in a basement can also point to a break somewhere underground.

Usually a dry P-trap letting sewer gas rise, common in a guest bathroom or a floor drain nobody uses. If the trap still holds water, the odor typically comes from biofilm coating the pipe wall or a venting fault.

They are hard on plumbing. The caustic reaction generates heat that softens PVC and speeds corrosion in older metal pipe, and the liquid often sits above the clog instead of clearing it, then splashes back at whoever opens the drain.

Straightforward residential laterals are generally a 1- to 2-day job including excavation and backfill, and trenchless methods often finish inside a single day. Permits, utility locates, and scheduled inspections all add lead time before any digging actually starts.

Municipalities require one for work connecting to the public main, a utility locate before anyone digs, and an inspection before the trench gets backfilled. We handle that paperwork and the inspection scheduling as a standard part of the job.

Scratch the pipe near your meter with a coin. Lead is dull gray, scratches to a bright silver, and a magnet will not stick to it. Providence Water also publishes a service line location map recording material by address.

Roughly 40 to 60 years, though rust builds inside them the entire time. That corrosion narrows the bore and eventually flakes into the water, so falling pressure and discolored water usually appear well before the pipe actually leaks.

Stop running water anywhere in the building, washing machines and dishwashers included, and keep people and pets away from what has already pooled. Reliable Sewer and Drain answers emergency calls around the clock throughout Providence, RI, and beyond.

Standard policies rarely cover the buried lateral itself. Many insurers sell a service line endorsement separately, and interior water damage is often treated differently from the pipe that caused it, so it pays to read the endorsement wording closely before you need it.

Scrape plates before washing, keep a strainer in every sink, and never pour cooking oil into a drain. Grease traps need routine servicing, and scheduled jetting holds the line clear between them. Reliable Sewer and Drain serves Providence, RI.