Why Some Drain Faults Need Excavation
Once the damaged section has been located, the condition of the pipe determines what can realistically be done.
A severely collapsed pipe cannot simply be jetted back into shape. A section that has shifted, lost its fall or suffered major structural failure may also be unsuitable for relining.
In those cases, excavation gives the plumber direct access to the failed section so it can be removed and replaced correctly.
The work can be relatively contained where the fault is shallow and accessible, or more involved where the drain sits beneath paving, concrete, a driveway or deeper ground.
Depth changes the excavation method, the amount of spoil that needs to be removed and the controls required to keep the trench safe.
Before digging starts, underground services need to be identified. Before You Dig Australia plans form part of that process, followed by any further on-site locating required to confirm where services actually run.
Where excavation reaches 1.5 metres or more, additional WHS controls apply and the trench may require shoring, benching, battering or another suitable protective method.
The replacement drain also needs to be installed with the correct grade and connections in accordance with AS/NZS 3500.
The aim is not to excavate more than required. It is to expose enough of the failed drainage to complete a reliable replacement.
What Affects a Drainage Dig-Up Job
For most customers, the biggest questions are how much of the property needs to be opened, how long the drain will be out of service and what the area will look like when the work is finished.
The answer depends on the length of damaged pipe, its depth, access and what sits above it.
A short, shallow repair through lawn or a garden bed can be much simpler than a deeper sewer beneath paving, a driveway or a concrete slab.
Reinstatement is an important part of the job and one that can be missed when quotes are compared.
Excavated material needs to be managed, the new pipe needs suitable bedding and backfill, and the trench needs to be compacted properly before the surface is reinstated.
Lawn, garden beds, paving and concrete all create different requirements.
Some drainage repairs can also reach infrastructure outside the private drainage system. Where work interfaces with an Icon Water asset or connection point, additional requirements, approvals or sign-off may apply before the job can be completed.
Drainage dig-ups can range from a contained half-day repair through to work that runs across several days when the damaged section is longer, deeper or harder to access.
We would rather explain those variables around the actual fault than give a standard duration that does not reflect the site.
How We Work on Drainage Dig-Ups
We start with the existing drainage problem and the evidence around it.
That may include the history of blockages, CCTV footage, the position of the damaged section and whether jet rodding or pipe relining remains a realistic option.
If excavation is the right repair, we confirm the section that needs to be opened before digging begins.
Underground services are checked, access is planned and the surrounding surface is considered so the excavation can be kept as contained as the repair allows.
The failed pipe is exposed and the damaged section is removed.
The replacement drainage is installed to the required grade, connected into the sound sections of the existing system and tested before the trench is closed.
Before backfill, we photograph and document the new buried pipe.
This gives the customer a record of what was installed and where the repair sits, which can be useful for future plumbing work, property records and insurance documentation
Backfill and compaction are then completed, followed by the agreed reinstatement.
Sometimes the straightforward excavation is still the right fix.
The important part is getting to that decision after the drain has been properly investigated, rather than digging simply because the first blockage was difficult to clear.
When Excavation Is the Right Drain Repair
A drainage dig-up should come after the fault has been properly understood.
If the problem is a blockage that can be cleared, excavation is unnecessary. If the pipe can be repaired reliably with relining, opening the ground may not be the best option.
Excavation becomes the right repair when the damaged section needs to be physically exposed and replaced, such as where the pipe has collapsed, shifted, lost its grade or is too badly damaged for an internal repair.
That can apply to drainage serving homes, managed properties and commercial sites.
The condition of the pipe determines the repair, not the property type.
Contemporary Plumbing can take the job from CCTV investigation and drain clearing through to excavation, replacement, testing and reinstatement where the fault requires it.
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