Many Great Falls homes are not on municipal sewer and use private onsite wastewater systems, while some neighborhoods drain to Fairfax County's public sewer. Either way, the pipe from the house is private, and a camera inspection can film it to find roots, cracks or blockages. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Great Falls.
What happens when you call
You are connected with an independent plumber who works in Great Falls. Start by telling them whether your home is on public sewer or a private onsite wastewater system; your bill or property records usually make that clear. Describe which drains are slow or backing up and when it started. The plumber opens a cleanout, clears the line if needed, and runs the camera out from the house, recording as it goes and noting the distance to anything it finds.
On public sewer, the camera follows the lateral toward the County main. Fairfax County maintains the main, and its 24-hour line at 703-323-1211 handles backups that could be in the public system. On a private onsite system, the camera checks the building drain and the line toward the tank. A plumber can film the pipe; the tank and field are a separate specialty, and the Great Falls Citizens Association recommends routine pumping and inspection for those systems.
Cost factors
- Long runs on large lots, which take more cable and time
- Cleanout access or entry through a toilet or vent
- Clearing roots or debris before filming
- Locating and marking the line and any defect from the surface
- A saved copy of the footage for your records
Local conditions in Great Falls
Great Falls is largely a bedroom community on the Potomac's right bank, roughly a fifth rural, with large lots along Georgetown Pike, Leesburg Pike and Old Dominion Drive and Great Falls Park nearby. The median home was built in 1985. Many homes rely on private wells, some neighborhoods have Fairfax Water, and many are not on public sewer. Big lots and mature woods mean long drain runs and plenty of root pressure, so roots and offset joints are common camera findings. Plastic lines from the 1980s and later can also sag where trench backfill settled.
Repairs that replace pipe need a permit from Fairfax County Land Development Services through PLUS.
Before the plumber arrives
- Confirm whether the house is on public sewer or a private onsite system
- Find the cleanout and clear access
- Cut back on laundry and dishwashing
- Gather any records of past pumping, cleaning or inspection
- Note whether the trouble follows heavy rain or a busy weekend
Sewer Camera Inspection questions in Great Falls
My home isn't on public sewer. Is a camera inspection still useful?
My mailing address uses the town's name, but I'm outside its limits. Who runs my sewer?
Will tree roots show up on the camera?
Can the plumber pinpoint a defect from the surface?
More plumbing services in Great Falls
Sewer Camera Inspection nearby
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