The old streets
St. Charles was founded in 1769, and the houses near Main Street and in Frenchtown are among the oldest in the region. Sewer laterals there are clay, and often original. Roots are the usual blockage, and a yearly cabling keeps most of these lines open.
Inside, cast iron drain pipe of that age is past its service life. If the clog is in the cast iron, it gets descaled, flushed and inspected before anyone decides between lining and replacement.
The subdivisions
The newer parts of town are plastic pipe. Roots are rare there. A backup is more often a low spot in the line, grease from the kitchen, or wipes caught where the pipe isn't smooth. If the line is flat and keeps collecting debris, jetting on a schedule is the fix.
How the city's lateral reimbursement works
St. Charles runs its own sewers, and its code sets up a Sewer Lateral Repair Program for residential property with up to six units on city sewer. It is paid for by a $20 yearly fee collected with St. Charles County property taxes. It is a reimbursement: the city pays back 90 percent of the lowest of three bids, up to $7,500. Houses outside the city limits aren't covered, even if the sewer bill goes to the city.
Two things to know before you start:
- The program is for a lateral that cabling didn't fix, so having the line cabled comes first.
- After you apply, the city runs its own camera through the line and writes up the repair.
- You then collect three bids from plumbers or drainlayers on the city's list. You may hire any of them, but the city reimburses against the lowest bid.
For a lateral program claim, the company that answers this number fills out the program's forms and location map and gives them to you with the camera video to turn in.
Landscaping and ornamental structures aren't reimbursed. Confirm the current terms with the city before you rely on these figures. St. Charles takes questions about the program at 636-949-3363, and applications go to the Public Works facility on Elm Point Industrial Drive.
Compare sewer lateral programs across 29 St. Louis-area cities