I broke a green sewer line. What is it?
I have new land where I am grading. All the homes have septic systems. I was digging a whole for a tree, 4' from the street and sort of in between a power transformer and a street light. About 10-12 inches from the surface was a green sewer line, about 6-8 inch diameter. The line appears to be empty. I broke the line with the back hoe. What do you think this line is? Should I fix it? I dont' think it's someones septic lines because it's on my property, and it's not leach lines. Could it be some kind of drainage for something? What are your thoughts?
Public Comments
- did you call digger's hotline before you dug and this wasn't marked? if so, call the hotline again and report it and ask for someone to come out and id the line. if you didn't call diggers hotline, you could make some anonymous calls to the individual utility companies and describe what you have and see if you can find out what is going on before you tell them who you are. It might just be a stubbed out line for a future street sewer lateral. is the street relatively new? if so, they probably ran sewer lines for future connection when and if they expand the urban service area. If its just a stubbed out lateral, I would consider cutting it off where its not broken and capping it so you don't get a sewer leak on your property sometime in the future when you might still be on septic but others have moved to municipal sewer
- i would measure the pipe, go to a plumbing supply house and by two rubber connectors called furnco's and a piece of the pipe. then sawzall off the broken part and reconnect using a furnco on each end and the appropriate length of pipe it won't cost to much and if it is a drain(empty because of dry weather ?) at least it will be connected. and next time call the utilities BEFORE you dig
- green usually means soil pipe. so going to a septic system is a very good possibility.Aslo to they use them in strom drains connecting them and going into dry wells.last and not least it could be a chase...a pipe where you can run underground utilitys in the future so you dont have to trench it.stick your nose down there and go by the process of elimination.if it smells like chit ..its the septic.Call 811 and have them check it out or 1888 d i g s a f e
- The green line is usally city or contractor installed line..and is usually for the whole neighbor hood....Alot of times it will be for water supply to all the homes and other times sewer....$ feet from your curb is less than usual for the cities easements etc..which is usually 6 feet... I doubt it is water supply or it would be shooting 15 feet in the air..If you seen no raw sewage..then it is probably a storm drain pipe to direct heavy rains into the drains..
