Hydro jetting cleans a Littleton home's sewer lateral with a high-pressure water nozzle that removes roots, grease and scale along the full pipe. It's the usual step when snaking hasn't kept a line open. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Littleton.
Who handles sewer in Littleton?
For most city residents, the City of Littleton. Water comes from Denver Water, but sewer is a city service, and most residents are billed for sewer and storm drainage by the city. Wastewater is treated at South Platte Renew, which Littleton owns jointly with Englewood. Residents of connecting communities are billed by their local sanitation district instead, and the city offers a Special District Look Up Map. For sewer emergencies in the city system, call 303-795-3959 during normal hours or 303-794-1551 after hours. If the city's main is clear, the problem is in your private lateral.
Why do older Littleton homes keep clogging?
Littleton is an established suburb about 9 miles south of downtown Denver, with a historic Main Street along the South Platte River, and it grew rapidly in the 1950s and 1960s. Homes from that boom often have cast iron drains inside and clay laterals outside. Cast iron builds up scale and rust that narrow the pipe; clay joints shift and let roots in from trees that have had 60 years to grow. A cable punches through, but the walls stay coated. A jet scrubs the whole pipe, and a camera look first confirms the pipe can take it.
Do I need a permit for any of this?
Not to clean the line. But Littleton requires permits to repair or replace any plumbing system within city jurisdiction, so if a camera finds a break, the repair goes through the Permit Center (303-795-3751). Homeowners doing their own single-discipline work sign a Homeowner Affidavit. Note that many addresses with a Littleton mailing address are actually outside city limits and go to Arapahoe, Jefferson or Douglas County; the city's District Map Tool checks jurisdiction.
A local note
When you call, say whether you're billed by the city or a sanitation district, roughly when the house was built and which drains are affected. Keep water use low until the line is clear.
If you live in one of the unincorporated areas with a Littleton address, such as Ken Caryl, Columbine or Highlands Ranch, your sewer and permit office are different; check your bill and the county. Skip chemical drain openers, which are hard on older cast iron.
Hydro Jetting questions in Littleton
Who should I call first when sewage backs up, the sewer utility or a plumber?
Should a camera go down the line before it gets jetted?
Does hydro jetting a drain need a permit?
Can jetting clear scale and rust inside an old cast iron drain?
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