If you haven’t noticed this truck around the city in the last few weeks, don’t be surprised if you do soon! Elk River’s Wastewater Treatment Plant will spend the next several months conducting sewer line jetting. This process of cleaning the sanitary sewer lines uses a nozzle which is propelled from one manhole to the next using high pressured water. The nozzle is then pulled back to the starting manhole, and with that retraction water scours the inside of the sanitary sewer pipe. Any debris in the pipe is pulled back with the water and a vacuum unit is then used to remove that water.
During the jetting process, air occasionally vents into a home through the sanitary sewer service line and ventilation system. When this happens, water in the toilet bowl can bubble or surge, or in rare instances, splash out of the bowl. Please note that any water coming from this type of incident is from the bowl itself, not the sanitary sewer system. During the jetting period please check your sewer vents to ensure they are clear and keep the lid of your toilet down to minimize the potential of any water splashing from your toilet.
Some of the most common causes of air venting into homes during jetting includes increased air movement from the jetting process, a plugged roof vent, along with the location and slope of the sewer line in proximity to your home.