Home Sewer Problems In The Valley Growing - KXNet - Bismarck/Minot/Williston/Dickinson

Home Sewer Problems In The Valley Growing

As the flood water started to receed in 2011, officials said that some affects from the water to our property would be delayed and may surface several years after.

It appears that is holding true for some in the valley.

Shaun Sipma has more.

(Shaun Sipma, KX News) "As the Valley approached the two year mark when flood water covered streets and filled homes, a new problem is starting to surface for homeowners below the surface."

(Dan Jonasson, Minot Public Works Director) "After the flood with all the pressure that was put on those services and on the ground and everything it's crushing some of those services."

Plumbers are reporting that the problem largely lies with homes that were built in the 1950's and 60's with a pipe that was commonly used then called orangeburg pipe.

(Dan Jonasson, Minot Public Works Director) "Which is essentially it's a tar paper pipe that they used back in those days."

(Trenton Howard, Kevin's Plumbing & Heating) "It was just a popular pipe and if the ground was compacted very well around it the pipe will be able to spread out and the top will squish down."

Using special cameras plumbers are able to scope a homeowners drain to get an idea of a problem, whether it be roots growing into the drain, silt deposits or a collapse.

(Trenton Howard, Kevin's Plumbing & Heating) "Right here it switches, you can see the pipe is starting to squish down, like right here it's starting to squish down from the weight of the dirt."

(Shaun Sipma, KX News) If the news of a collapsed sewer pipe isn't troubling enough, this next part is.

A homeowners property is just that, their's to take care off and that includes the cost to replace their sewer pipe from the house to the main sewer line.

(Dan Jonasson, Minot Public Works Director) I would guess to replace a service line would cost five to seven thousand dollars."

(Shaun Sipma, KX News) "Is it worth digging up a small section if you have a bad section?"

(Trenton Howard, Kevin's Plumbing & Heating)"Usually not. In the winter it is, because the excavation is quite expensive when the ground is frozen so if you can dig up a small piece when it's 30 below and the ground is frozen four feet deep, that's a good temporary fix and then when it warms up you should replace the whole section."

Unfortunately showing that the cost of recovery continues to mount for valley residents when many themselves don't qualify for assistance outside of more loans.

In Minot, Shaun Sipma KX News.

Jonasson says the city does cost share the portion of the street and curb if a section has to be tore up to a connect a home's sewer line to the city's main.