Hydro Jetting in Sanford, NC

Who handles a sewer backup in Sanford now?

Since July 1, 2024, TriRiver Water has been the water and wastewater provider for Sanford, taking over from the City of Sanford's own utility. Sewage is treated at the Big Buffalo plant, which has a capacity of about 12 million gallons a day and discharges to the Deep River. If the public main in the street is backed up, TriRiver Water is the utility to call. If it's only your house, the clog is almost always in your own lateral or building drain, and a plumber is the right first step. A quick check is to ask a neighbor whether their drains are working normally.

Is my older Sanford home's pipe safe to jet?

Usually, but it depends on the pipe. Sanford's housing is older than the Wake County suburbs. The median home was built in 1985, and about 44% predate 1980. Many of those older homes are in and around the Downtown Sanford and Rosemount-McIver Park historic districts, where clay tile and cast iron laterals are common. Clay has joints every few feet that roots can enter, and cast iron builds scale on the inside. Jetting cuts roots and scours scale well, but cracked or separated pipe can be damaged further by high pressure. That's why plumbers often run a camera through an older Sanford line before jetting. If the pipe is sound, jetting goes ahead. If it isn't, cleaning may still happen first so the damage can be seen clearly, followed by a repair plan.

Why does my drain keep clogging after it's been snaked?

A cable machine opens a path through the clog but often leaves grease, sludge or roots clinging to the pipe wall. That leftover layer catches the next load of paper and food, and the clog returns. Jetting cleans the full circumference of the pipe, so the line goes back closer to its original size. If a jetted line still clogs quickly, the cause is likely structural, such as a sag that holds water or a joint that's shifted, and a camera is the way to find it.

A note for Sanford homeowners

Because TriRiver Water is a newer name, some older paperwork and stickers may still say City of Sanford. For anything on the public side of the sewer, TriRiver is now the contact. For everything from the house to the property line, call a plumber.