Sewer Line Repair in Sun City West, AZ

Warning signs

• A toilet that gurgles or burps when the tub drains
• The shower pan filling with water when the washer empties
• Several fixtures draining slowly at once
• A cleanout cap that's damp or smells of sewage
• A backup soon after the house reopens from a long absence

When only one sink is slow, the clog is usually near that fixture. Problems at several drains together point to the main building sewer.

Sun City West's homes and sewer

Sun City West is a Del Webb retirement community on about 11,000 acres west of Sun City, completed in 1997, with community-run golf courses and recreation centers. It's unincorporated, so there's no city utility. EPCOR, a private regulated utility, serves about 15,600 water connections here, handles wastewater, and maintains the sewer mains and manholes across the Sun Cities. If a manhole is overflowing or several neighbors are affected, contact EPCOR at 1-800-383-0834; the line takes outage and emergency calls as well as customer service.

Because the community was built out over a fixed period ending in 1997, most homes are now decades old. Drain lines from that period can be cast iron or plastic, and both age: cast iron scales and rusts from the inside, and older plastic joints can shift. If you spend part of the year elsewhere, keep in mind that a home that sits empty for months can show drain problems once it's in regular use again.

What affects the price

• Pipe material and condition along the run
• Depth and how far from the house the problem is
• Gravel, concrete patios, carports or walls over the line
• Whether the line can be cleaned, lined, spot-repaired or must be replaced
• Permits through Maricopa County Planning and Development, which issues like-for-like plumbing repair permits online

Once you're connected

An independent local plumber who serves Sun City West will take your call. Explain which fixtures are affected, how long it's been happening, and whether anyone has run a camera before. If you're away, arrange access with a neighbor. The plumber will usually clear the line through a cleanout, run a camera to find the cause, and walk you through the options from there.