# Gas line in sewer



## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

This just appeared in the news paper today. 

Call before you unblock a sewer. There could be a gas line going through it


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## ChrisConnor (Dec 31, 2009)

What's that gonna show if it's full of sewage and what if there's no cleanout?


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## ChrisConnor (Dec 31, 2009)

I think this is just one of those "due diligence" things where they say "Hey, we told you so!" if somebody gets killed.


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## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

That's some scary shiot.


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

If this is the case. The gas company should have to camera every sewer line after they bored there gas line under ground


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## RealLivePlumber (Jun 22, 2008)

Ive done 4 or 5 in the last year with what appeared to be a routine blockage. 

Turns out they had bored a 6kv  electric line through them. Ive posted pix here on several. Stoppages occured MONTHS after the work was done on 3 or 4. 

The first one we chewed on for a while before getting it open. We tv'd it, and when I saw the red conduit, I about had a stroke.


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## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

It is a potentially deadly situation for sure. I get my share of phone lines, but they should have to camera every sewer in the areas they bore gas in.


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## Plumbergeek (Aug 16, 2010)

Several years ago my main competitor augerd into a high pressure main in front of a medical building, the gas line was 2" plastic. Shut down a four block area for several hours. I think about these kind of things every time I run my rooter machine, especially worried about electrical lines. I do have the rubber boot insulators and gloves I received when I worked for a utility company to protect us when boring water lines, if they weren't so bulky I would use them.....


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## DesertOkie (Jul 15, 2011)

In Tucson we had the job of video inspection for SW Gas the bored all new line in huge portions of the city. They found lots of them running right across old clay. I saw one myself when a guy called for a camera, he opened the line with a single but could not get double blades through. I saw a big yellow pipe crossing the ABS, pack your stuff up while I make a call, oh please no smoking too.


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## tungsten plumb (Apr 15, 2010)

In a few cities where I'm at we got notices to call the city before we did any main line cleaning to make sure there wasn't any trenchless gas line replacements done at that property if so we had to wait for them to come out and determine if the blockage was caused by the gasline. Can you imagine waiting on the damn city to come inspect before each sewer cleaning?:no:


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

tungsten plumb said:


> In a few cities where I'm at we got notices to call the city before we did any main line cleaning to make sure there wasn't any trenchless gas line replacements done at that property if so we had to wait for them to come out and determine if the blockage was caused by the gasline. Can you imagine waiting on the damn city to come inspect before each sewer cleaning?:no:


I know ... and who is going to pay for the cost of you waiting for them to show up... and are they going to show up the same day or book it a week from today...

I know for other locates some times it takes weeks to get them there


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## Qball415 (Nov 20, 2010)

USA (underground service alert) is who we call here they require 24 hour notice to come out next day and also require white paint marked in area to be surveyed.


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## ianclapham (Jan 10, 2011)

i have camera surveyed a few clay lines with gas pipes thru, and more where water pipes have gone thru, i will post pics as soon as i find them.


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## ianclapham (Jan 10, 2011)

a couple of pics from the web


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## tungsten plumb (Apr 15, 2010)

They have us call USA whenever were doing that type of work but it seems like the utilities don't do it themselves :whistling2:


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## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

I found a 2" pvc water line through a 3" sewer line just outside of a house. 
No telling how many sewers I dismissed as being collapsed or damaged when actually it might have been a utility. But customers don't always let us take it to the repair step, and I can't seem to keep my camera out of the repair shop long enough to use it.


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## tungsten plumb (Apr 15, 2010)

mpsllc said:


> I found a 2" pvc water line through a 3" sewer line just outside of a house.
> No telling how many sewers I dismissed as being collapsed or damaged when actually it might have been a utility. But customers don't always let us take it to the repair step, and I can't seem to keep my camera out of the repair shop long enough to use it.


Do you have one of those southcoast equipment pos cameras?


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## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

tungsten plumb said:


> Do you have one of those southcoast equipment pos cameras?


Yeah and it's a piece of crap. Ive had it a little over a year and it has been to repair twice, and each time it takes months to get back. The last round which was in October I got back in early Dec and the head was mounted crooked and when I hooked it up and turned it on the picture had a round halo, so I had to pull head off and send back to repair. Still there. I plan to sell it for what I can but can't seem to get it together long enough LOL.


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

OldSchool said:


> If this is the case. The gas company should have to camera every sewer line after they bored there gas line under ground





SlickRick said:


> It is a potentially deadly situation for sure. I get my share of phone lines, but they should have to camera every sewer in the areas they bore gas in.





tungsten plumb said:


> ...to make sure there wasn't any trenchless gas line replacements done at that property if so we had to wait for them to come out and determine if the blockage was caused by the gasline....



All of this seems to be addressing the symptom, rather than the problem. 

There is only one way to effectively address this issue. Every private sewer that is in the path of a directional bore, must be located and pot-holed prior to drilling. Utility companies demand it if you cross their crap in the middle of a street. Why can they require this? Because their attorney gets paid more than yours.

Anything short of pot-holing is just posturing by various legal departments. It's a numbers game they play betting that the liability lawsuits and occasional repairs will cost less than effective due-diligence. 

It's all good until we have to send flowers to the widow.

Pre and Post camera inspections will never be completely effective since many sewers are in rough shape before the directional bore. Too many sewers would require repair and excavation just to get a camera to the easement.


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