Smithfield runs its own sewer collection system, with treatment at Johnston County's regional plant south of town. The drains in your house and out to the Town's sewer are your responsibility, and in Smithfield that's often older pipe. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Smithfield.
How does Smithfield's sewer work?
The Town of Smithfield operates its own collection system, and Johnston County's interceptors run through town to the Central Johnston County Regional Wastewater Facility, south of Smithfield, which is permitted to discharge 9.5 million gallons a day to the Neuse River. The Town maintains the public lines; homeowners are responsible for the drains inside the house and the private line out to the Town's sewer.
If a manhole in the street is overflowing or neighbors are backing up, contact the Town. If only your house is affected, call a plumber.
What makes older Smithfield homes prone to clogs?
Smithfield is the historic Johnston County seat, and its housing is old. Census survey data puts the median home at 1973, with about 65% built before 1980. In many homes around the Downtown Smithfield Historic District and the older blocks off Market Street and Brightleaf Boulevard, drain lines are cast iron or clay.
Cast iron corrodes from the inside, leaving a rough surface that holds grease and paper. Clay joints can shift and let in roots from mature trees. That's why a drain in an older Smithfield home may keep clogging even after it's cleared. A camera inspection can show whether the line needs repair rather than another cleaning.
In some older Smithfield houses, the original cast-iron drain under the floor has been partly replaced with plastic. Where old and new pipe meet, a transition fitting can leave a lip that catches paper and grease. A camera inspection shows where those spots are.
When should I call instead of plunging?
Try a plunger on one slow sink or toilet. Call a plumber if more than one drain is slow, if water comes up in a tub or floor drain, if you smell sewage, or if the same drain keeps clogging. Skip chemical openers; they're hard on old pipe and dangerous for the plumber.
Permits in Smithfield
Routine drain cleaning doesn't need a permit. For repairs that do, the Town's Planning department issues a zoning permit first, and Johnston County Building Inspections handles building permit inspections for the Town under contract.
Drain Cleaning questions in Smithfield
Can tree roots get into a drain line?
Should I have a camera run through the line?
Does drain cleaning need a permit?
What causes a sewer smell from a floor drain or tub?
More plumbing services in Smithfield
Drain Cleaning nearby
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