Hydro Jetting in Pittsboro, NC

My Pittsboro house is fairly new. Why is the drain clogging?

Pittsboro's housing is newer than most of the area. Census survey figures put the median home at 2002, with only about 11% built before 1980, and the large Chatham Park development keeps adding more. In houses that age, the drain lines are almost always plastic. Plastic doesn't rust or scale the way cast iron does, but it collects what goes into it: cooking grease, soap residue, food scraps and so-called flushable wipes. Over a few years that coating narrows a kitchen line or the main building drain until something catches.

A cable can punch through the clog, but it leaves most of the coating behind, and the drain slows again. A jetter scours the whole inside of the pipe, so the line gets back close to its full size. On plastic pipe, a plumber can usually jet with confidence, though a camera is still useful if the clogs started suddenly, since a construction defect such as a sag or a crushed section can cause the same symptoms.

Who takes care of the sewer line?

Since July 2024, Pittsboro's water and sewer have been run by TriRiver Water, the City of Sanford's regional utility, which took over from the Town. A blockage in the public main is TriRiver's to clear. The lateral between your house and that main belongs to the owner, and that's where most backups in individual homes begin. If several houses on your street are having trouble at the same time, report it to TriRiver. If it's only your house, a plumber is the right first call. Homes outside town limits may be set up differently, so check your bill for a sewer charge if you're not sure.

Does jetting need a permit, and what about the older homes downtown?

Cleaning an existing line doesn't normally require a permit. If the camera finds a section that needs repair or replacement, Chatham County Central Permitting & Inspections handles plumbing permits and inspections for the Town of Pittsboro. The smaller group of older houses near the courthouse circle and in the historic district can have cast iron or clay lines, which are worth scoping before any high-pressure cleaning.

A Pittsboro note

New subdivisions often see their first drain trouble a few years after move-in, once household habits have had time to build up in the kitchen line. Keeping grease out of the sink and wipes out of the toilet does more to prevent clogs than any cleaning schedule.