Drain Cleaning
Kitchen, laundry and basement floor drains in Altoona homes clog with grease, lint and hair. We clear the line and tell you if the pipe is part of the problem.
Learn moreWHO OWNS THE LINE IN ALTOONA
Private Sewer Lines and Footing
Drains in Altoona Homes
In Altoona, the homeowner is responsible for the sewer line from the house all the way to the city main, and that line often runs past the property line and sometimes under the street. The City of Altoona states this on its service lines page and suggests asking your homeowners insurance company about service line coverage, since a repair under the road can mean removing pavement and sidewalk.
That is why an accurate diagnosis comes before any digging. We run a camera from a cleanout toward the main, record what it shows, and use a locator to mark where the lateral runs and how deep it sits. Roots, a sag where soil settled and a cracked joint each call for a different fix. Where the pipe allows, we replace sewer line trenchless.
House age adds a second Altoona problem. The city’s Footing Drain Disconnection Program explains that in homes built before 1975, the footing tile around the foundation was often tied into the basement sanitary line. During a hard rain, that groundwater rides into the sewer, and the basement floor drain is where a backup shows first. Chapter 101 of the Altoona City Code governs the disconnection, city staff inspect before work begins, and grant funds go to homeowners who apply first. Our camera can show whether a tile line still enters your sewer.
Altoona keeps adding homes. The city’s demographics page lists 19,576 residents in the 2020 Census and an estimate of 22,598 by July 1, 2024. Newer houses skip the footing tile issue but still see grease buildup in kitchen lines and laterals that shift as backfill settles.
The city’s Wastewater Department maintains over 100 miles of public sanitary sewer, sends flow to the Des Moines Wastewater Reclamation Authority for treatment, and offers residents a free inspection to help find a drain problem. When the problem is on your side, we take the call at any hour. Plumbing work in Iowa follows the 2024 Uniform Plumbing Code, in effect statewide since March 26, 2025.
Owner Jarod Smith started Clog Busters in 2020, and our Des Moines branch at 3950 Vandalia Rd covers Altoona and the rest of the metro. Request an Altoona drain or sewer visit online.
