Hydro Jetting in Fountain Hills, AZ

Who handles the sewer in Fountain Hills?

Not the Town, and not the water company. Sewer service comes from the Fountain Hills Sanitary District, a separate special district that collects and treats wastewater and distributes recycled water, with sewer fees billed to property owners. Water comes from EPCOR. That split matters when something goes wrong. The Sanitary District takes calls at any hour, at 480-837-9444, about a broken or collapsed sewer line in the public right-of-way or a District easement. A clog in the private line between your house and the District's pipe is a job for a plumber.

How can I tell whether the problem is mine or the District's?

Start with your neighbors. If homes on your street are backing up too, the District's main may be blocked, and the District should hear about it. If only your house is affected, look at which fixtures are misbehaving. One slow sink suggests a local clog in that fixture's branch. When the lowest drains in the house back up together, or a tub fills when a toilet is flushed, the restriction is in the main building drain or the lateral. If the outdoor cleanout is overflowing, the clog is downstream of it, toward the street.

Is jetting safe on a hillside sewer line?

Generally, yes. Jetting works on pipe of any slope, and steep laterals actually help, because loosened debris washes downhill to the main. The concerns are the same as anywhere: a cracked, separated or root-damaged pipe can be made worse by high pressure, so a camera inspection beforehand is wise, especially when the line has a long history of clogs. Lots on slopes sometimes have longer or more winding laterals, which affects how much hose and time the job takes.

A local note

Fountain Hills water from EPCOR runs about 16 grains per gallon. Hard water mostly shows up as scale on fixtures and water heaters, but mineral deposits can also roughen older drain pipe and give grease something to cling to. If a camera finds a section that needs replacing, ask the plumber about permits; the Town's Building Safety division processes construction permits through its online system.