# Does anyone have a copy of the NASSCO Jetter Code of Practices?



## SewerRat (Feb 26, 2011)

We have a company in our area who does a lot of sewer cleaning for the small cities throughout the region. They claim to be trained and certified but for some reason their mindset for sewer cleaning equipment is "the bigger the better".

We have heard countless stories about people in our town who have had sewage blow out of the toilets whenever the city has the sewer main cleaned. A church we worked at had their kitchen flooded when sewer maintenance jetting blew a Fernco cap off of an abandoned drain line in the kitchen. Now the city public works director tells us that they are going to mandate backwater valves on all laterals since this is such a problem. Recently the old retired building inspector who is well known in town had just finished his private business and was just going to flush when he got drenched in a cold sewer bath. The sh$t hit the fan. However, he is not alone and it IS a problem.

We have had numerous conversations with the city maintenance department on this, and they seem to just swallow whatever the contractor tells them, hook, line, and sinker. They simply turn a deaf ear when we suggest maybe they should try less flow and more pressure. We've asked them if they are trying to clear blockages, remove a lot of silt and sand, or clean the sidewalls. They tell us it is just scheduled maintenance and they are just cleaning sidewalls. Silt and sand are virtually non-existent according to them.

Our town is small. We have mostly 6" and 8" sewer mains, maybe an occasional 10". They use two different combo trucks for the cleaning. One is either 60 or 65 gpm at 2000 psi, and the other is 80 gpm at 2500 psi.

As I have read excerpts from the manual in the past, they have calculations for pipe volumes, etc. so that an operator doesn't inject more water than the sewer can handle and cause flooding.

They say it happens when they are pulling back under pressure. Supposedly they jet from manhole to manhole, change to a 45 degree spray pattern (supposedly according to BMP's), and pull back under pressure. While pulling back too much water builds up behind the nozzle and backflows into the houses.

None of the houses here have fixtures with the flood rim below the nearest manhole. Our area is flat and the sewer system elevations work out just fine.

We do not hold a public works license and we are not trying to get the city's work, but we are PO'd because it sounds like we will be dealing with backwater valves every time we clean a sewer now, and to me it is simply a case of poor maintenance procedures on the city end. But mainly it gripes me that these poor homeowners have to keep dealing with water in their bathrooms because of careless operators. To me it is simple, if the sewer isn't blocked then they are simply using too large of equipment and the sewer can't handle the flow. Use less water while jetting and the flooding would stop.

I was just wondering if the Jetter Code has recommendations for what equipment to use for different sizes of lines. Any help would be appreciated. Maybe if they can see it in writing they will believe us and experiment with different jetter specifications.


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## AlbacoreShuffle (Aug 28, 2011)

" Recently the old retired building inspector who is well known in town had just finished his private business and was just going to flush when he got drenched in a cold sewer bath. The sh$t hit the fan. "

I would have loved to be a fly on the wall when that happened ! AHHAHHA !


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## drs (Jun 17, 2011)

My 2 cents:

We jet upstream under low PSI and if we hit something, we kick up the PSI. On the return, we crank the PSI and watch the flow fly past us. Never a problem. 

Now if the line is backpitched, that could be flooding out a basement BUT mostlikely not.

Could be lack of time jetting and reading the line.


Has the town or the contractor been put on notice?


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## SewerRat (Feb 26, 2011)

If you mean are they aware of the problem, definitely so. If you mean are they aware we are researching the Jetter Code, no, they are not.


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## drs (Jun 17, 2011)

It sounds to me like it's somebody who drives a truck that operates a water pump thinggy and not a person who loves his job and takes great pride in it.


By putting a person or town on notice is done via a lawyer who sends a letter to the powers that be stating that they will be paying for any damage to property.

They get attention most of the time. We have done work for other companies who could not keep the water flowing down the line. I don't mind helping them or training them.

training is the key but is all starts with wanting to be a Professional.


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## SewerRat (Feb 26, 2011)

drs said:


> Now if the line is backpitched, that could be flooding out a basement BUT mostlikely not.


I agree, if there is a problem with the line then that needs to be addressed. Putting B/W's in every lateral would be a stop-gap measure when repairing the line would be the obvious solution.

As for getting lawyers involved, I don't even live in town and I'm not going there. Someone that got their butt wet should though.


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## ChrisConnor (Dec 31, 2009)

They need something like a 4018 US jet instead of those 65 and 80 gpm machines. That will greatly reduce the chance of toilets overflowing.


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## SimplePlumber (Feb 1, 2012)

I don't have the spec's your after, but it sounds like they are trying to save themselves time and money by jetting the manholes both up and downstream from the same manhole.

Perhaps this normally wouldn't be an issue, but if they are jetting them first thing in the morning at the maximum usage time, combined with jetting them from the upstream side of the manhole, it could easily force it up the laterals. Unfortunately, even with their gpm sheet and doing it on off-peak hours, jetting from the upstream side will stop nearly all water from passing the jetter head, especially if they are power pulling back under pressure.

I'm with you on the fact that it would be far easier to change the jetting technique than add a million dollars worth of backwater valves along with the maintenance and problems they create.

I would second the notion to put the City and the contractor on notice to cover your bases. Negligence of the contractor doing the jetting would be my main approach.

Good luck on your fight.

Be well,

Rich


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