AUBURN — Davis Avenue residents who are wondering what’s going on in the sewer line can find out free of charge.
The Auburn Sewer District is offering staff time and the use of a $10,000 video camera to let residents on the street inspect the integrity of their sewer lines.
“Most people don’t have an idea,” said John Storer, district superintendent. “They don’t imagine the extent of the infrastructure. They think that you just flush it and poof, it’s gone. But there is a whole pile of infrastructure behind that magic.”
Storer said the offer goes out to residents living along Broad and Seventh streets, too.
All three streets are scheduled to be reconstructed and paved this summer. City rules say that once a road is reconstructed, there is a five-year moratorium on cutting into the pavement for utility work.
Storer said the video project is a way to identify problems now, before the paving work is done.
“We can go in and do work if we have to under the moratorium, but there’s a lot more to it,” Storer said. “We have to cut out a bigger area and make sure it matches more carefully. It can turn a $1,000 paving project into a $10,000 project.”
According to state rules, residents are responsible for the water and sewer lines on their property which connect their house to the district’s lines in the street.
“We can do a quick video inspection to see if they have tree-root intrusions or a broken pipe or anything they should address before the city puts down the new pavement,” he said.
Storer said residents will get an idea of the condition of their lines and if repairs or cleaning are needed. They’ll get a copy of the recording on CD that they can give to a contractor if work needs to be done.
Residents who are interested in the service may contact the district offices at 784-6469 to schedule a time.
“It usually takes two people to do it, and the homeowner can watch while we’re doing it,” he said.
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