Sewer Camera Inspection in Centreville, VA

Signs the lateral needs a look

• Toilets and the lowest shower draining slowly at the same time
• Gurgling in a floor drain when the washing machine empties
• Water backing up in the basement with no fixtures running
• Repeat clogs a short time after the line was cabled
• Soggy, unusually green patches of lawn over the sewer route

A single slow sink is almost always a local clog. When the problem shows up across the house, the shared line out to the street is the suspect.

Local conditions in Centreville

Centreville is the most populous community in Fairfax County, an unincorporated suburb at I-66, U.S. 29 and Route 28 that was largely built out in the 1980s and 1990s. The median home dates to 1991, so most laterals here are plastic rather than clay or cast iron. Plastic does not corrode, but it can sag where trench backfill settled, separate at a joint, or be damaged later by fence posts, decks and landscaping. Roots can still work into a loose joint.

Fairfax County owns the public sewer mains, but it does not locate or mark private laterals. That makes a camera with a locating transmitter particularly handy: the plumber can trace the line and mark the trouble spot on the lawn before anyone talks about digging. If sewage backs up with nothing running, the County's 24-hour line, 703-323-1211, checks the main first; if the main is flowing, the problem is on the private side.

What affects cost

• Whether there is an accessible cleanout near the foundation
• Clearing a blockage first so the camera can pass
• Length of the lateral and how many fittings it turns through
• Surface locating and a recorded copy of the inspection

What happens when you call

You are connected with an independent plumber who works in Centreville. Mention the age of the house, which fixtures are affected and whether you have called the County line. After the inspection you will know whether the line needs cleaning, a spot repair or a longer section of new pipe. Repairs that replace pipe go through Fairfax County Land Development Services, with applications filed in the PLUS system.