Verizon cut my sewer line...

Scottnot

I believe you are somewhat misinformed.

There are methods to use fluid technology to replace exiting lines with new ones, as well as to "repair" defective cables; this is the primary function of the "flowmole" that you cite. This is not a tool used to install new cable in virgin locations.

New cables are put in place with one of three methods; direct buried, cable in conduit, or total conduit system. All of these methods require "trenching. In no case would it be possible to install a new cable that would go "right through the middle of our sewer" as the writer suggests.

hakstone

Verizon is completely reckless in their approach. They broke 2 irrigation pipes running my line to the house.

rockaway1836

Seems they create a lot of havoc.

http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pb...NEWS/702080418

wormbait

Try this link I think this could cause enough damage to a sewer line.http://www.powermole.com/video.html The one we use is called a "FlowMole" try to be a little more open minded.

Methodical

Hey Scott it is true they dig about a waste deep trench and then use a machine like the poster mentioned above to push through the ground and under driveways streets etc. I know this for sure because I watched them in my neighborhood. Fortunately the morning they started on my street I was late to work and saw them or I'd probably had a busted irrigation line like my other neighbors or damaged drive way. I was able to mark my lines before they began digging.

Scottnot

Ok, let's do that.

Your link to the "powermole" makes sense.
"FlowMole" of course is a registered trademark of UtilX corporation, and they may very well manufacture boring as well as fluid injection machines under that name.

In any event, Verizon runs their inground cable through conduit; the majority is run by opening trenches;
where necessary to get under streets, sidewalks, and driveways, they certain bore a hole to accept the conduit though which the cables are later pulled.

Now, the troubled poster wrote that after having a sewer problem, and upon excavation, he found
"two verizon fios cables right through the middle of our sewer".
Sorry, that just doesn't make any sense and is frankly not believable.
They don't run bare cable in the ground.

So, I would still say that it is highly unlikely that the poster's story is "absolutely be true".

CaliFiosTech

Yea, being that most of the fiber underground is in conduit. I have run across a handful of times where they (dig crews/contractors) have direct buried a cable, but it is usually for an unusual reason. I still don't see how a cable could, or two, could run directly through a pipe on accident. If it was done on purpose, whoever did it would be dealing with a lot of sewage while they performed this act!!

jmohr1

Exactly; Something about the story just doesn't smell right.

I'm trying to picture you peeking out from your blinds, seeing a crew digging in your yard. You don't go out to say anything about the work being done. After seeing a fecal geyser shooting up in the air as the guys keep working (I guess they all had stuffed up sinuses that day), you just waiting patiently in your home until they leave. Then you call... a plumber.

What am I missing here?

Jolard

Sigh, it absolutely is true.

They DO NOT dig a trench and lay down the cable. They dig holes and then drill, push, crawl, I don't know what, horizontally. Maybe they dig trenches in some places, but they didn't in our neighborhood.

No we did not see any damage to our sewer until way after the installation date.

Well maybe my terminology is wrong. The fiber optic cable is of course covered in a outside pipe or cover of some sort. What we saw was 1 1/4 inch tubing, orange with black stripes on it. When I spoke with the contractor, he acknowledged that that is a correct description of what the "path" cabling looks like.

I have photos of the dig, and the two cables going right through my sewer. If I can figure out how to post them, I will when I get home.

Also, someone asked how deep the sewer line was. It was 6 feet deep. I don't know what the regulations are. From speaking to the contractors though, they are only required to go a foot and a half deep for installations to your house, but much deeper when they are laying the "path". Again, I don't know all the terminology, but the path is when they are wiring the street to certain points, and then they go from those points to your home later. It was the original "path creation" that caused the problem.

So while everyone seems to think my story is bogus, I have to tell you it is absolutely true. Those who are saying that there is no way this could happen have absolutely no idea what they are talking about. It happened to me.

As an update, we finally got the sub contractor to come to our home last week, and they picked up all my paperwork, copies of the invoices, photographs, etc. I tried calling their office today for an update and of course can't get a hold of anyone. It makes me incredibly angry, because in my mind Verizon should be dealing with them, not me.

Scottnot

Your story as originally related was at least "incorrect".

Again, there is no way that what you originally posted could have happened.
Now, as you are relating it and explaining about the conduit - yes, that makes more sense and could certainly have happened.
In which case, I am certain that the subcontractor and or Verizon will reimburse you for all necessary expenses . . . and perhaps even offer a few perks for your inconvience.

Jolard

lol, man you are picky on this forum, I said 2 verizon fios cables were through my sewer line, instead of saying that 2 verizon fios conduits were through my sewer line.

other than that failure of terminology, everything I said was correct.



Anyway, here is a link to my photo:

http://flickr.com/photos/jolard/3267705955/

JPL

For the record, not everyone disbelieved you - my posting had to do with the appropriate course of action to take, in terms of who to go after for compensation. It just seemed odd to me that it would be possible for Verizon to go through a sewer line because around here, anyway, regulations require that sewer lines be really deep - much deeper than what Verizon would dig. Not that Verizon couldn't accidentally go through a sewer line, but I just wanted to point out that Verizon may not have been to blame.

BTW, the reason that sewer lines, again around here - not sure what the regulations are in this area - are buried so deep are precisely because of the type of issue you hit. If you have a sewer line fail around a water line, say, and if that water line also has some openings/holes, you've created a situation where contamination of water is much more likely.

Jolard

JPL.

Thanks for the suggestion, I checked our codes online, and the sewer line must be a minimum of 2 feet deep at the exit from the house, and a minimum of 4 feet deep at the property line. Since our sewer was 6 feet deep at the point where verizon pierced it, we were well within code.

I am not sure if verizon usually goes that deep with their path creation, but they did on our property. So it is definitely Verizon's fault.

Scottnot

Boy, they blew right through that puppy didn't they.

As George Carlin taught us many years ago . . . sh*t happens - and in this case, it did indeed.

I'm certain you will be fully compensated for the damages, and as I suggested earlier, you might "suggest" to Verizon that they may wish to offer you some "perks".

monjul

Verizon cut a sprinkler line on me but I was lucky that when I had the sprinkler system started up last spring, my maintanence company fixed it for free. But man was he pissed because he said so far he had to repaired about 25 issues with cut lines all pointing to Verizon's fiber install.

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