Harris water began excavation for a local deli in Jamaica Hills Queens; the tenants had been experiencing sewage backups in the basement for several months. Harris began excavating under the sidewalk by removing the old clay pipe and installed the new 6″ cast iron sewer from the new trap on the inside of the building to the curb line. The DEP inspector arrived on site at 3 pm and passed inspection on the new pipe.
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The next day began by digging in the roadway as usual, when they encountered large amounts of water and sewage in the hole. It is common to come across sewage when excavating to replace a sewer line but not to the point where it has turned all of the surrounding soil into mud. The crew had to start pumping the water out of the hole just to get a clear picture of where the water was coming from, after almost an of pumping water, they finally reached the house piping, yet were still baffled as they were not able to locate the house connection to the city sewer.
After investigating with DEP, it had become apparent that the city sewer was replaced several years back however, the new city sewer stopped short of the tenants building leaving them with no sewage outlet into the city sewer. The buildings waste had been over saturating the soil leading to back-ups in the basement. Harris now had to receive special permission from DEP to make a new house sewer connection at another location which was quickly approved.
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The Harris Sewer crew now had to move the buildings sewer line back 7’ from the original location in order to connect to the new city sewer. The sewer crew began excavating in the roadway on day 1 to confirm the location of the new city sewer, and to core drill a hole for the buildings new sewer connection. The new connection was made, cemented, and inspected by DEP before the hole was covered with a metal plate in preparation for the 2nd day of excavation.
Harris now excavated the sidewalk and made a hole in the foundation wall of the building for the new sewer line to enter. The new 6” extra heavy cast iron pipe was installed from the inside of the building, to the sidewalk where they connected to the new pipe that was installed one day prior. The new sewer received final inspection from the DEP before they received the “protected street” testing which is required when excavating any street that has been resurfaced within a 5 year period.
Harris Water Main & Sewer Contractors was able to work promptly on a continuous basis as the tenants needed an immediate fix and could not afford to wait over an extended period of time. The management staff worked closely with DEP on the best way to resolve these unexpected and peculiar circumstances, leaving another satisfied customer in Jamaica Hills, Queens. Contact Harris Water Main & Sewer Contractors if you are experiencing a similar issue, looking for a free estimate or is you have any general questions.
