Sewer & Water Line Repair in Fort Collins, CO

What we tend to find across the city

Old Town and the Laurel School area. The city’s oldest homes sit here under mature street trees. Original lines in these blocks are often clay or cast iron. Clay joints let roots in, and cast iron scales and corrodes from the inside until waste starts to catch. A basement drain that backs up on laundry day is the classic warning sign. Lining often suits these streets, because it seals the joints without digging under old trees and sidewalks.

Campus West and other mid-century neighborhoods. Homes built in the decades after World War II may have cast iron or fiber (Orangeburg) sewer pipe. Fiber pipe softens, flattens and eventually collapses. A camera spots the deformation long before the line fails completely, which is the difference between a planned repair and an emergency.

Rigden Farm, Waterglen, Bucking Horse and other newer subdivisions. Lines here are usually PVC, which does not corrode and resists roots. The weak point is the trench: backfill that settles leaves a belly where solids collect, and joints can pull apart. Fence posts, sprinkler installs and landscaping damage new lines more often than most owners expect.

Whatever the neighborhood, the camera inspection shows what you actually have before anyone talks about price.

Fort Collins Utilities: where your responsibility starts

Sewer. The property owner maintains and repairs the wastewater service line from the building to the city’s main in the street, including any damage it causes. If a blockage is between the house and the main, the owner pays for repair and cleanup, including damage to the street or driveway. If the blockage is in the city’s main, Utilities clears it and pays for janitorial cleanup of the affected area. Report a sewer backup to Fort Collins Utilities at 970-221-6700. General customer service is 970-212-2900.

Water. Fort Collins Utilities is responsible for the water main up to the curb stop, the curb stop itself, the water meter and associated damage to the street or property. The owner is responsible for the service line from the curb stop to the house, any property damage it causes and the plumbing inside. Only Utilities staff can operate the curb stop, so a service line repair is scheduled around the city’s shut-off. Utilities also runs an online lookup that shows whether a galvanized service line is on record for your address. Water line replacement in Fort Collins.

Districts inside the city. Not every Fort Collins address gets sewer service from the city. The Boxelder Sanitation District serves portions of Fort Collins, and the South Fort Collins Sanitation District operates in parts of south Fort Collins. Your bill shows who serves you, and we check that provider’s rules before any digging.

Ground that works against old pipe

The Colorado Geological Survey calls expansive soil the state’s most significant geologic hazard and lists sewer lines among the things it damages. Clay that swells when wet and shrinks when dry can pull joints apart and bend a line out of grade. Add Larimer County’s 30-inch minimum frost depth for foundations and a freeze-thaw cycle every winter, and it is easy to see why lines that worked for decades start to fail.

Fort Collins FAQ

Who should I call first when a basement drain backs up in Fort Collins?

Fort Collins Utilities, at 970-221-6700. They check whether the city’s main is blocked, and that call costs you nothing. If the main is flowing, the problem is in your service line, and that is the time to call us.

Will Fort Collins Utilities fix a leak in my water line?

Only on its side. The city handles the main, the curb stop and the meter. A leak between the curb stop and the house is the owner’s to repair, although Utilities staff still operate the curb stop for the shut-off.

What does a sewer line permit cost in Fort Collins?

$65 plus sales tax on the project valuation, under a plumbing permit. Clearing a stoppage needs no permit. Replacing buried or concealed pipe does, and we include it in the quote.