Where does the City of Durham stop and the owner start?
At the public right of way. The city says it maintains water and sewer lines in the public right of way only, which includes the lateral to your water meter and to the sanitary sewer cleanout. Lines beyond, on private property, are considered private.
That makes the cleanout the practical dividing point in Durham. A blockage between the cleanout and the house is the owner's, and sewer line jetting from the cleanout clears it. If you are unsure where your private lines run, the city suggests a private locator, and a camera inspection can also trace the line. Call now to get information about the service and book a visit.
What does Durham require for cleanouts on new construction?
A cleanout just behind the right of way, within the property. The city's plot plan checklist asks that meter and cleanout be shown within the property, and says an older cleanout in the right of way must be relocated using a right-of-way permit.
The requirement puts the access point on private property where an owner can reach it. For homes built before that rule, the cleanout may sit at the edge of the right of way, and a locator can find it. Keep it accessible and capped. When roots have entered the line beyond it, tree root removal clears them.
Who maintains which part of the line in Durham?
Durham maintains lines in the public right of way only. The table shows how the pieces line up.
| Part of the line | Who maintains it | What it means when a line clogs |
|---|---|---|
| Public sewer and the lateral in the right of way, up to the cleanout | City of Durham | The city maintains lines in the public right of way |
| Private line beyond the cleanout to the building | Property owner | The city treats it as private; a plumber or drain pro handles clogs |
| Locating private lines | Owner, through a private locator | The city does not mark private lines |
What clogs sewer lines in Durham?
Grease, wipes and roots. EPA's inspection manual lists grease and tree roots among the primary causes of sewer blockages, and Durham's older neighborhoods have mature trees near clay lines.
Restaurants downtown and near Duke add steady grease, and commercial grease line jetting handles those lines. In houses, drain jetting cleans kitchen and laundry branches.
Which hydro jetting services can you book in Durham?
Every service on this site is available in Durham, for a bungalow in Trinity Park, an apartment near Duke or a restaurant downtown.
- Sewer line jetting from the cleanout through the private line
- Sewer camera inspection to trace a private line when it is not marked
- Tree root removal for roots in older Trinity Park and Old North Durham lines
- Drain jetting for kitchen, laundry and bath branches
- Commercial grease line jetting for downtown, Ninth Street and Brightleaf kitchens
- Sewer backup help for toilets and floor drains that are overflowing
- Storm drain jetting for apartment lots and retail drains
Neighborhoods and nearby cities
Calls come from across Durham, including Trinity Park, Old North Durham, Duke Park, Watts-Hillandale, Forest Hills, Hope Valley, Northgate Park, Lakewood and Ninth Street.
Nearby local pages cover hydro jetting in Raleigh, Greensboro and Winston-Salem. Help is also available in Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Hillsborough, Morrisville, Cary, Roxboro and Creedmoor. See the North Carolina page for every city we cover.