The Shattered Sewer

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Dear Mayor, this has been a horrible botch-up from the start.  The installation of the water main cracked my big clay sewer pipe, but didn't open.  They had closed up for a week before there was trouble.  Then came the big rain at Easter.  The silt and gravel in the sewer slid and blocked up the flow.  That got my poor neighbour but they could easily see backflow down the manhole.  My sewer has also gone to very top.

They flushed the sewer a bit and cleared it for next door.  Mine was never fixed.  The extra pressure from the blockage shattered the sewer.  It was huge break.  I had weeks of fighting with the city because I didn't want to dig up my cleanout in the downstairs living room.  I finally did today.

The city came and put in the camera and it got stuck.  They couldn't see anything but located the break right under the new watermain.  Then the water main people came and fixed it.

So, beware that the installation of a new watermain may crack your sewer pipe.  I still think they main sewer is silted up, but they'll take their sweet time on it.