Your sewer line, the city main and where responsibility changes
North Ridgeville homes connect to a sanitary sewer that the Public Utilities Division bills along with water, stormwater and refuse. Main lines carry the flow to the French Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant in Sheffield Village, which also serves Avon and Sheffield. The pipe that runs from your house to the connection is a private line, and that is the part we repair.
The split matters when a backup happens. If one house is affected, the break is usually on its own lateral. If neighbors are backing up too, the city main may be blocked, and the Public Utilities Division at (440) 490-2049 should hear about it. A camera look settles the question.
Population grew from 13,152 in 1970 to 35,280 in 2020, so many sewer laterals here are decades old and have had time for roots to find joints. If you live near Avon or Elyria, the same symptoms can point to a different municipal system, so say which town your house is in when you call.
What decides the price of a sewer repair
Sewer repairs vary more than almost any other plumbing job, so an honest plumber explains the factors before quoting. These are the ones that move the number.
A break near the house is a short dig. One under a driveway, a mature tree or a patio costs more to reach.
One cracked joint is a spot repair. A long run of offset or collapsed pipe is a section replacement or a full lateral.
Open trench, pipe lining and pipe bursting all have different crews and equipment. The camera findings decide which method the pipe will accept.
A deeper line takes more digging. Restoring a lawn, concrete or pavers afterward is a real part of the job.
Emergency visits at night and on weekends are priced differently from a planned daytime appointment, and you hear which applies before work starts.
Homeowner policies usually cover sudden accidental damage but not a pipe that wore out or was damaged by roots. Backup coverage is often an optional add-on, so ask your insurer what yours includes. For a real number, a plumber must run a camera on your line, so call and describe the backup.
Common questions
Yes. The line is open 24/7, including nights, weekends and holidays. If sewage is backing up, stop using water and call.
A clog clears with a cable and stays clear. A broken line backs up again, often with a sewage smell or wet ground in the yard. A camera confirms which one it is.
Lining avoids a trench, but it only works if the pipe is open enough to take the liner. A collapsed or heavily offset pipe needs replacing. The camera footage decides.
Sometimes. Epoxy lining can repair a cracked line under a slab if the pipe is continuous and open. A collapsed or badly separated line may need part of the floor opened. We tell you which after the camera run.
When the camera shows long sections of crushed, offset or missing pipe, or repeated breaks along its length. Spot repairs on a pipe that is failing everywhere only delay the real fix.
The private line from your house to the connection is generally yours. The city main belongs to the city. If neighbors are also backing up, call the Public Utilities Division at (440) 490-2049.
We repair the pipes between the house and the tank. Tank pumping and drain field repair need a septic specialist.
Yes. You get a clear price after the camera shows what is wrong and before any repair starts.
How the break gets found and confirmed
- 1Stop the backup. The plumber clears the stoppage enough to get a camera in, often with a cable or hydro jetting when roots or grease are the cause.
- 2Run the camera. A waterproof camera on a flexible cable shows cracks, offsets, belly sections, roots and collapsed pipe on video.
- 3Locate the problem. A transmitter in the camera head lets the plumber trace the break from above ground and measure how deep it sits.
- 4Explain what the video shows. You see the same footage, with the broken section, the pipe material and the condition around it.
- 5Pick the repair. Spot repair, lining or replacement is chosen based on the pipe's actual state.
A camera cannot show everything. It will not tell you how much soil has washed away around a crack. The plumber says what is known and what only digging will reveal. For inspections before a home purchase, see sewer camera inspection.
Signs the sewer line, not a drain, is the problem
A single slow sink is usually a drain clog. These signs point farther down the line.
- More than one fixture backs up, such as the basement floor drain filling when you run the washer.
- Gurgling in toilets when a tub or sink drains. Air is being pushed past a blockage in the main.
- A sewage smell in the yard or a patch of lush grass or wet ground over the line.
- Cracks or sinking in a patio or driveway near the line. Soil may be washing into a break.
- Frequent clogs that clear and return. Roots or a broken section are catching debris.
- Rodents or insects coming from a drain. A broken pipe gives them a path.
If the trouble is only a clog without damage, drain cleaning is usually enough.
Spot repair, lining or full replacement
| Method | Good for | Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Spot repair by excavation | One cracked or separated section | Digs up a small area and surface |
| Cured-in-place lining | Long cracked runs with a continuous pipe | Pipe must be open enough to line, and offsets or collapses rule it out |
| Pipe bursting | A line too far gone to line | Needs pits at each end, and soil conditions matter |
| Full open-trench replacement | Collapsed, crushed or badly offset pipe | Most disruptive to the yard |
| Cleaning only | Soft blockage with a sound pipe | Does nothing for a broken pipe |
A lined pipe has a smaller inside diameter than before, but the new smooth wall usually flows better. A sound pipe can sometimes be relined under a slab or driveway where digging would be a major job. The camera decides, not the wish list.
Sewer line broken or backed up?
Tell us which drains are affected and a plumber will start with the camera.
Permits, inspections and hiring a sewer contractor
North Ridgeville requires a permit for alterations that change the sanitary sewer system, and the application has a Service Line category. No building sewer may be opened to connect the building drain unless a Building Division inspector is present. Inspections must be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance. Permit rules vary, so ask the North Ridgeville Building Division at (440) 490-2081.
Repairs follow the Ohio Plumbing Code, which is built on the International Plumbing Code (IPC), for pipe material, slope and cleanout access.
All contractors must be registered with the city. Ohio does not require a state license for residential contractors. You should still ask for proof of insurance and read the written contract. Be cautious of anyone who refuses to pull a permit, pushes you to decide fast or asks for a large payment up front. Residential complaints go to the Ohio Attorney General's Consumer Protection Section at 1-800-282-0515.
When sewage backs up into the house
A sewer backup is the most common reason people call this service. The water that comes up is wastewater, and it carries bacteria. Basement floor drains, shower stalls and lower-level toilets surface it first because they sit lowest.
Clearing the backup and finding the cause are two steps. A cable or jetter restores flow, but if the pipe is broken the backup returns. A camera tells you whether the cause was grease, roots, a collapse or something in the line. Cleanup of affected floors and carpets is a separate job for a restoration company, and insurance may cover some of it.
A repeating backup in a house that has a floor drain and a sump pit may also involve a backwater valve. A plumber can check whether yours is installed and working. For a main line that needs regular cleaning, see sewer line cleaning.
Septic systems and the limits of what we handle
Most of North Ridgeville is on the city sewer, but some properties further out may have a septic system. For those, we can repair the house drain, the line to the tank and any broken pipe in between. Tank pumping, baffle repair and drain field work are septic specialist jobs, and we say so rather than overpromise.
If you are not sure which system you have, the Public Utilities Division at (440) 490-2049 can tell you whether your address is on the city sewer.
Sewage in the house: what to do before the plumber arrives
- Stop all water use: no flushing, laundry, dishes or showers.
- Keep people and pets out of the contaminated area. Sewage carries bacteria.
- Wear gloves and boots if you must walk through it, and wash well afterward.
- Turn off power to a flooded basement only if you can reach the panel without standing in water.
- Take photos of the backup for your insurer, then move items out of reach.
Do not pour chemical drain cleaner into a sewer backup. It does not fix a broken pipe and can injure the plumber who has to open the line.