Sewer Camera Inspection in Rialto, CA

Who do I call if the sewer backs up in Rialto?

Start by sorting out whose problem it is. If only your house is affected, the cause is almost always in your own drain line, and a plumber with a camera is the right call. If neighbors are backing up too, the public sewer may be involved. The fact sheet we use for Rialto does not name the sewer agency, so look at your utility statement to see who bills the sewer charge and contact them about the public line. Water in Rialto can come from the City through Rialto Water Services, West Valley Water District or Fontana Water Company depending on the address, so the water company on your bill is not necessarily the sewer contact.

What can the camera find in an older Rialto line?

Rialto incorporated in 1911, and the city has housing from many decades. We do not have a citywide build-year figure, so the camera's first job is often to answer a basic question: what is this pipe made of? Clay and cast iron lines tend to show roots growing in at joints, cracks, or sections that have shifted out of alignment over years of small ground movement in earthquake country. Plastic lines are tougher against roots but can sag where trench soil settled or pull apart at a fitting. In all of them, grease and wipes can build into a plug that a cable punches through without removing. Slab floors are standard, so the first part of the drain usually runs beneath the house and can be followed from a cleanout.

Do I need a permit if the camera finds damage?

Clearing a line does not usually involve a permit, but replacing or repairing a damaged section is a different matter. In Rialto, permits go through the City of Rialto Community Development, Building & Safety Division at 150 S Palm Avenue, (909) 820-2505, and applications can be made online through the city's EnerGov portal. The plumber who does the repair normally handles the permit and inspection. Ask for the defect to be marked on the ground with a depth estimate and for a copy of the footage, so any repair proposal can be checked against what the camera actually showed.

A local note

Hot, dry summers drive tree and shrub roots toward any moisture they can find, including a leaking joint in a sewer line. A drain that gets slower each summer is a good reason to have the line filmed before it stops completely.