Sewer Repairs

There are many factors that can create blockages and performance issues in your property’s drains and sewers, but the most serious of them will lead to a total collapse, which is likely to be more complex to repair than a simple blockage.

Common causes of sewer collapses include:

• Persistent blockages and leaks – if your pipes are prone to regular leaks and obstructions, this can result in water continually escaping into the surrounding ground, putting pressure on the sewer pipe and potentially causing a collapse


• Tree root incursion – if a tree is growing too close to the sewer pipes, its roots will be attracted to the moisture within the sewer line and may grow through the joints into the pipe itself, weakening the system and eventually fracturing the sewer


• Misaligned or poorly fitted pipes – misaligned sewer pipes may not be immediately obvious, but over time this will result in leakages into the surrounding earth, causing structural damage that becomes more serious over time


• Age, wear, and tear – in some cases, sewers may collapse simply as a result of old age, especially in areas where the pipe infrastructure was installed many decades ago. In these cases, a full replacement may be necessary

Many of the indicators of a collapsed sewer are similar to the standard signs of any blocked drain, including slow-draining sinks, toilets or showers, gurgling sounds from plugholes or a persistent smell of sewage around the property.

However, the following signs may offer a clue that a sewer collapse is the root problem:

• Problems with more than one of your fixtures – if your drainage problems are not localised to any one plughole and are affecting all of your sinks, baths and toilets at the same time, this indicates the problem may be affecting the main sewer line


• Sinking ground around your property – a sewer collapse causes the ground above it to sink due to the loss of structural support. This problem is called subsidence, and is a clear sign something has gone wrong below ground


• Waterlogged soil and fast–growing grass – if a main outdoor sewage line is seriously damaged, it will leak water into the soil, which may manifest as waterlogged soil. It may also cause a patch of fast-growing grass to develop above the sewer line, or conversely, the grass in this area may simply die due to oversaturation

If you spot signs that may indicate a collapsed sewer, get in touch with Lanes as soon as possible. By catching the problem early, it is more likely that the problem will be less serious and easier to repair.

Lanes’ specialist robotic cutting teams work across the UK to open up lateral connections after pipe and sewer rehabilitation.

Precision cutting

Lateral connections must be plotted with millimetre precision and fully opened up using a robotic cutter alongside CCTV equipment. The cutting units can operate inside pipes ranging from 75mm to 850mm in diameter, restoring flow from buildings and land to the main sewer system.

Call us on 0800 526 488, or fill in our online enquiry form.

Tackling root ingress

Robotic cutting units are used to remove root ingress from drains and sewers. This includes both fibrous and tap roots and occurs when they break into the pipes searching for water.

Typically roots are cut out when we are preparing a drain for rehabilitation via CIPP reline. Using robotic cutters to remove root ingress saves time, money, and disruption, as the pipe can then be cleaned and surveyed to identify any potential damage to the pipe before a liner or patch repair is installed.

Tackling other obstructions

Lanes have used the same equipment to remove all manner of obstructions from pipes, drains, and sewers over the years. In particular, tile slurry, cement and concrete frequently get into drains during construction and building work.

Lanes are accomplished at project managing the removal of such debris for the builder in time for handover.

And the weird and wonderful

Cables, wooden fencing stoops, toys — you name it we have found it in the drains and sewers. Discarded items like this will lodge and may eventually cause a blockage.

They can be costly to remove by excavation, but with our robotic tools we cut and grind the items into smaller, more manageable pieces, pushing them to the nearest manhole chamber and vacuuming them out with jet vac technology.

The best cutter for the job

Having invested in the best cutting technology, we always have the best cutter for the application. We have been providing expert, flexible cutting solutions for years — no wonder we have so many loyal customers.