What does Arlington's ordinance say about sewer service lines?
It puts the line squarely on the owner. According to Arlington's water and sewer ordinance, the property owner maintains the sanitary sewer service line on the property and within the street right-of-way or easement, up to and including the point where it connects to the main.
The ordinance spells out what maintenance includes: cleaning, unclogging and unstopping the line when materials, debris, roots, trash or other items become lodged in it. The one exception is a structural failure inside the right-of-way or easement, which the city repairs for a fee set by resolution. Everything else, including clearing the clog, is yours. Opening and cleaning the line with sewer line jetting is one option to talk through with a pro. Ask a local pro about your line and book your visit.
Why do Arlington service lines clog?
Roots, grease and debris, the same trio the ordinance names. The older neighborhoods around downtown and UT Arlington have mature trees and older pipe, while newer southwest subdivisions have newer pipe, where kitchen grease and wipes can build up.
Roots enter older clay or cast iron joints, a process Los Angeles County Public Works describes: tiny root hairs get in through even a small leak and grow quickly on the nutrient-rich flow. EPA's inspection manual names grease and roots among the primary causes of blockages. Tree root removal with a camera inspection finds and clears the problem.
Who maintains which part of the line in Arlington?
Arlington's water and sewer ordinance gives owners the service line up to and including the connection to the main, with one exception for structural failures.
| Part of the line | Who maintains it | What it means when a line clogs |
|---|---|---|
| Service line on the property and in the right-of-way or easement | Property owner | Cleaning, unclogging and root problems are the owner's job |
| Structural failure inside the right-of-way or easement | City of Arlington | The city makes that repair under its own rules |
| Private service lines outside the right-of-way or easement | Property owner | Maintenance and repair stay with the owner |
How do the Entertainment District and event days affect sewer lines?
Big venues can create big, uneven loads. Restaurants and bars near large venues can see thousands of guests on event days, so a kitchen line that is fine on a quiet week may struggle on a busy weekend.
Scheduling commercial grease line jetting ahead of the season, and again when a camera shows grease building up, keeps kitchens running when it matters. Hotels and apartment communities nearby benefit from the same planning on shared lines.
Hydro jetting services in Arlington
Every one of the seven services can be booked in Arlington for homes, apartments, restaurants and venues.
- Sewer line jetting for the full service line the ordinance makes yours
- Tree root removal for roots the ordinance lists among common blockages
- Sewer camera inspection to see the line before a repair decision
- Commercial grease line jetting for restaurants near the stadiums
- Drain jetting for kitchen and laundry branches in homes and rentals
- Sewer backup help for a drain that is overflowing now
- Storm drain jetting for event parking lots and business parks
Neighborhoods and nearby cities
Calls come from across Arlington, including Downtown Arlington, the Entertainment District, the UT Arlington area, Southwest Arlington, North Arlington, Lamar and the neighborhoods along Cooper Street.
Nearby local pages cover hydro jetting in Irving, Fort Worth, Dallas and Garland. Help is also available in Grand Prairie, Mansfield, Burleson, Waxahachie, Cedar Hill, Midlothian, Cleburne, Hurst, Duncanville, Forest Hill and Kennedale. See the Texas page for every city we cover.