A new defense against sewer problems

Paul Ferrell and Todd Olver weren’t exactly working undercover, but their mission involved the underground.

Like investigators, the two sought to sniff out trouble and nab the culprits — tree roots, plastic bags or other pipe-clogging debris.

The Laguna Beach maintenance workers had ventured to Oak Street on a recent weekday to check part of the city’s 95 miles of public sewer lines.

Ferrell stationed himself at one manhole, while Olver parked at another outlet up the street. Ferrell placed a hose, which had a metal swivel and two circular openings attached, down the shaft of the manhole.

Water shot out from the openings at 1,000 to 3,000 pounds per square inch, normal for 8-inch-wide lines. Still, Ferrell and Olver had more work to do.

Olver lifted the manhole cover and peered down as the smell of sulfur filled the air.

Workers shoot water uphill to ensure that any debris will flow back down along the city’s lateral and not become lodged in a homeowners’ line. After a few minutes, Ferrell, holding a pitchfork, pulled up a ball of roots.

City workers routinely clean the labyrinth of undergound pipes, some dating to the 1920s and ‘30s, to avoid costly and harmful sewage spills and backups, but they can only do so much.

The thick, invasive roots of the old trees Laguna Beach is known for can find their way into cracks in sewer pipes on private property too.

Last summer, the City Council approved an amended ordinance that holds private property owners liable for maintaining laterals — the pipes that carry soiled water from sinks and toilets to the public lines. Water quality officials had determined that a majority of spills originated from homeowners’ blocked lines.

Repairing or replacing a damaged lateral can be pricey, but the city is partnering with Service Line Warranties of America on a program that assists property owners when they have to repair or replace aging sewer lines.

For $9 a month, a resident receives $4,000 worth of coverage for each repair and an additional $4,000 if workers have to cut through a sidewalk or road to reach a lateral. The warranty does not cover cleaning out a sewer line.

Big problems can occur when a ball of roots or debris moves from a private lateral into the city’s main lines.

To help stave off problems, the city requires homeowners to have a plumber conduct a video inspection of their lines under certain circumstances, such as during a remodel or after a spill occurs.

Former Laguna Beach Mayor Wayne Baglin knows all about pesky tree roots.

Twice in the last two years, roots have lodged in the same section of pipe where the private lateral connects to the city’s line under his 1930s-era house on Wendt Terrace. Each time a plumber needed to knock the debris loose.

Baglin knew the city was working on a new ordinance two years ago when he had the lines under his house inspected.

The video revealed a blockage from tree roots that Baglin suspects belonged to a nearby palm tree.

“I was shocked,” Baglin said, referring to when he learned about the blockage.

As part of a home remodel in 1986, Baglin said, crews installed newer sewer pipes that connected with older city lines.

Over time, Baglin explained, the constant pressure of cars traveling atop the street probably caused the earth to move enough to leave a gap at the connection between the newer and older pipes.

“It becomes offset enough that tree roots find that [space] and cause a blockage,” Baglin said.

Sixteen of the city’s 95 miles of pipes have a buffer against roots — an inner felt lining made of polyester or fiberglass cloth. Baglin said the coating would be a good idea for private laterals as well.

If an inspection reveals a clogged or damaged pipe that needs repair, residents have 90 days to correct the problem. Video inspections average $250, the Coastline Pilot reported last year.

The city wants plumbers to help too in identifying roots or debris lodged inside pipes and offers $50 per tip. Plumbers can call (949) 464-6616 to report a problem.

Property owners can be fined if they don’t make an effort to clean or repair a lateral, though David Shissler, water quality director for the city, said citations are rare.

Fines are usually reserved for “egregious” circumstances, like when a person “knowingly causes a big spill and ignores it,” Shissler said.

Typically the city issues warning letters and offers a grace period for making the fix.

The majority of sewer spills caused by private parties are corrected within a day, Shissler said.

If the problem persists, fines could range from $10 per gallon of spilled sewage to $10,000 per day if the city needs to close public property, according to the ordinance.

For more information on sewer laterals and the warranty program, visit lagunabeachcity.net.