Pipe used to carry sewage (typically referred to as drain, waste and vent, or “DWV”, piping) is often made from cast iron or steel. Cast iron and steel pipes have worked well for drain, waste and vent purposes for years, but like everything, they eventually fail. The stress of that failure has you looking to hire a sewer replacement contractor.
Over time, rust forms within an iron or steel pipe creating a sort-of crust. As the crust grows thicker, it decreases water flow, and erodes the metal and weakens the pipe. Another issue with pipes caring waste is the presence of hydrogen sulfide gas in the pipes, which hastens corrosion, and the acidity of the sewage.
Another issue is that any kind of break in underground pipe will encourage root intrusion. Roots will begin to grow inside the pipe, choking the pipe more and more over time.
You can expect a metal pipe used to carry sewage to last for fifty years, but it is not unusual for some structures to have pipes that are much older than that – even as old as a century or more.
If you own or manage a structure that is very old that has not had a repipe in recent memory, then it is very likely you may have pipes that will fail.
The issue of sewer pipe failure is especially daunting when dealing with a multi family residence, such as an apartment complex or condominium.
SageWater is much more than just a sewer replacement contractor. With more than 35 million feet of pipe replaced in the United States, we are a complete turnkey pipe replacement company. Our specialty is replacing the pipe in multi family structures.