Solving A Sewer Lateral Problem For An Oakland HomeownerSeptember 15, 2022
Installing A New Sewer Lateral For An Awesome
Oakland Guest House
This Homeowner Had To Deal With An Unreliable Plumber Until
Avalon Came And Took Over.
Oakland Guest House
Avalon Came And Took Over.
Getting a sewer lateral up to code in the East Bay can be challenging, and installing a new sewer line is harder still. That’s why we knew we had our work cut out for us when we took over this sewer lateral project from a plumber who didn’t seem to know what they were doing.
The homeowner, Maureen, found out about us after doing some research online…and, unfortunately, after having spent way too much time and money dealing with a sub-par plumber.
After nearly two years of delays and frustrations, Maureen called us to come in and clean up the mess created by the first plumber’s lack of planning and experience. We’re not trying to give anyone a hard time, but it seemed like they were in over their head.
Getting The Sewer Lateral In Compliance With EBMUD
One obstacle we had to overcome was getting the sewer lateral in compliance with East Bay Municipal Utilities District codes. We had to demonstrate that the whole property, which would come to include two sewer lines, was water-tight.
In addition to her original sewer line, we had to install a new sewer pump that would connect the prefabricated guest house she had purchased to her main sewer line. Then, we had to make sure THAT sewer line was in tip-top shape and was up to the standards required by EBMUD.
If that sounds complicated, it’s because it is, and to make matters worse, her first contractor seemed to know NOTHING about these requirements. It was a good thing she called us….
Installing A New Sewer Pump To Get The Guest House Operational
Because of the sloping elevation and the way the property was set up, we had to run the piping through a VERY narrow side yard to connect the guest house’s sewer line to the main one. The fact it was so steep also meant a traditional sewer lateral was out of the question, so we were going to have to install a pump.
Despite all the challenges, we WERE successful in installing a working sewer pump that would feed directly into the home’s main sewer lateral before ultimately ending up in the public sewer. After all, our precision workmanship is one of our calling cards, and we hate to back down from a challenging project.
Replacing An Out Of Date Sewer Lateral
Unfortunately, this plumbing project turned out to be like pulling a loose string on a sweater. Once we started pulling we discovered more and more that was beginning to unravel. As it turns out, the sewer lateral for the MAIN home was also having issues and wasn’t going to pass inspection. So…we had to go in and replace that, too.
Luckily, once ALL of that was done, we were able to have the representative from the city come in to witness us perform the dreaded pressure test. The whole sewer system passed with flying colors, and Maureen was able to FINALLY enjoy her new finished property…guest house and all.