What a Job!
A small depression in the lawn led to a three-day excavation, a new sewer lateral, and a completely fresh start for the front yard.
Here's a seemingly uninteresting post, a post about replacing the sewer pipe at 173. I say seemingly because there actually are a few interesting things about this project that took place 'round about 1999. Here in my city, the sewer system is antiquated and is becoming a serious problem for the famed Hudson River. Most of the sewer system here was built in the 19th century, when horses were common in cities, meaning that horse dung was a public health problem. The sewers allowed for dung to be pushed into any nearby storm drains, which would carry it to sewage treatment plants. And of course, 173's sewer line was put in way back in 1927, not too far into the automobile age (fewer horses - less sewage). Here's the story...
A Small Depression in the Front Yard
Not long after purchasing 173, I was mowing the front yard and noticed a little divot in the yard next to the sidewalk coming from the front door. I didn't think much of it at the time, but it did register. Maybe a year later, I noticed the divot had become a depression, and still later a bit of a hole. Then, somewhere around '99 I noticed that the hole really had become something of note. Something like this:
Finding the Failed Sewer Connection
So I called the City and they sent a crew out to scope the city sewer line. What they found was the sewer line that comes from 173 to the city's line had dropped off the sewer main, right at the dotted line that says "Sewer Responsibility":
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| Picture from Kenmore Community Club |
A Repair Too Deep for DIY
That meant, replacing the pipe was my responsibility, and at a time when finds were limited, this was no small undertaking. And, as you can see by the picture above, the city's line is significantly deep underground, so it was certainly not something I could do myself. So I hired a company that does this stuff and they took care of it over the next three days. Here's the first picture:
Digging Up the Front Yard
At this point, they had removed the sidewalks that go from the house to the city sidewalk. It looks like they are digging gingerly, although as we will see - there was no need for caution yet.
And there's the new pipe that went in. A far difference from the original clay pipes! Oh, and look - there's the old birch trees when I first put them in. They were here until 2013 when I cut them down after learning that their roots had a tendency to grow right through pipes! Remember how I commented about how deep these things went. this picture is when they were maybe half way there:
The hole was so deep, they had to put supports in to protect against cave-ins:
They eventually had quite an interesting setup to get the pipe changed:
It was like an archaeological dig site!
A Clean Slate for the Front Yard
But after a few days the job was done. Interestingly, since this was done here at 173, I've seen maybe a dozen of my neighbors have the same issue over the years. The one upside is...this gave us an absolutely clean slate for the front yard!
Of course, a “clean slate” is a polite way of saying the lawn, sidewalk, and everything around them had been thoroughly torn apart. Once the pipe was buried and the soil settled, we had to rebuild the walkway, regrade the ground, and start the grass over from scratch. That led to the infamous orange snow fence, new plantings, and eventually many of the front-yard projects that would later appear on House 173. At the time, all I could see was the cost and the mess. Looking back now, it was the unexpected beginning of the front yard we know today.
Hey, thanks for stopping by - see ya' next time!
There are two kinds of old-house photographs.
The first kind shows beautiful woodwork, original windows, and fireplaces everyone wishes they had.
The second kind shows a trench deep enough to swallow a compact car.
This is the second kind.
What struck me was how ordinary the warning looked. A small divot in the grass hardly seems like the opening scene of a three-day sewer excavation. That is old-home ownership, though. The house whispers first. Ignore it long enough and eventually it brings in heavy equipment.
I also appreciated that you saved the photographs. Nobody thinks to document sewer work for nostalgia, but twenty-five years later those images explain why the sidewalk changed, why the lawn was reseeded, why the trees were moved, and why orange fencing haunted the shed for decades.
It may not be the prettiest Legacy Project.
But, it may be one of the most important. - A Fellow Old-House Homeowner
Frequently Asked Questions
What caused the depression and hole in the front lawn?The sewer lateral running from House 173 to the municipal sewer had separated or dropped away where it connected to the city main. As soil gradually migrated into the failed area, the surface of the lawn began to sink.
At first, the problem appeared as a small divot and did not seem especially urgent. Over time, however, it became a depression and eventually a noticeable hole. That gradual change was the visible warning that something significant was happening underground.
Who is responsible for repairing a sewer line between a house and the street?
Responsibility varies by municipality, but homeowners are often responsible for the private sewer lateral running from the house to the point where it connects with the public sewer main. The city generally maintains the main sewer itself.
In this case, the inspection showed that the failure occurred on the House 173 side of the designated responsibility line. That made the excavation and pipe replacement the homeowner’s obligation, even though the failed connection was located close to the municipal main and deep beneath the front yard.
Why did the excavation require supports inside the trench?
Deep trenches can collapse without warning, especially when the surrounding soil has been disturbed or contains moisture. The farther workers dig, the greater the pressure exerted by the soil on the trench walls.
The supports visible in the photographs were installed to reduce the risk of a cave-in while the crew worked near the bottom. At that depth, trench protection was not merely a convenience. It was a critical part of performing the job safely.
Why was the old sewer pipe replaced rather than repaired in place?
The original line was made from older clay pipe and had failed at or near its connection to the sewer main. Once the front yard and walkway were excavated to reach that depth, replacing the deteriorated section with modern piping provided a more dependable long-term solution than trying to patch the old connection.
Clay sewer lines can serve for many decades, but their joints may separate, crack, or become vulnerable to root intrusion and shifting soil. A new continuous run reduced those weaknesses and gave House 173 a much more reliable connection.
How did the sewer replacement affect the later landscaping at House 173?
The excavation removed the walkway and disturbed a substantial portion of the front lawn. Once the repair was complete, the yard had to be graded and reseeded, which effectively created a fresh landscaping canvas.
That disruption eventually led to other projects and stories around House 173, including the orange snow fence used to protect the new grass, changes to the walkway, and later decisions about trees and front-yard plantings. An unpleasant underground repair ended up influencing the appearance of the property for decades.
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