1. Where is my sewer line?

Many of the District’s sewer mains are located in road rights-of-way. Others are located in sewer easements that cross private property. The District has maps showing the location of sewer lines, and the location of laterals off of those main lines that provide service for homes and businesses. The District also has an extensive file of individual accounts, most of which have maps showing the general location of the private building sewers serving individual properties. If you would like to see this information for your home or business, simply come by the Administration Building and ask to see the records for your property.

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2. I have a clogged drain, who should I call?

To determine where a clog in your plumbing might be located, the first thing to do is to check out which areas of your plumbing are not draining. If only one or two drains are slow and the rest are working well, then the clog is within your house or building plumbing, and not in the District’s line. If all of your drains are slow or clogged, then the problem may be in the District’s system.

If all of the drains are clogged, please call the Administration Office (503-653-1653) and let us know about the problem. First our staff will check the District’s lines to make sure they are running clear. If there is a problem with the District’s system, staff will proceed to clear that blockage. If the problem is not in the main line, then staff will use a TV camera to inspect the lateral from the house out to the main line as long as there is a cleanout available for access for the mini-camera. If it is determined that the blockage is within the road right-of-way then Oak Lodge Sanitary District staff will repair the problem. If it is on private property then it is the responsibility of the owner to effect repairs.

Please note that if you need to repair your building sewer in a location more than 3 feet from where it exits the house, you will need to take out a sewer inspection permit from Oak Lodge Sanitary District. To find out about obtaining an inspection permit, please call the District office at 503-653-1653.

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3. There is a sewer odor in my house, what should I do?

The first thing to do if you have a sewer odor in your house is to make sure that all of the traps in your drains have water in them. If there is a drain that you seldom use, such as a shower or sink that rarely get use, run water into that drain for a bit. That may well clear up the problem. The other thing to do is to check under your house and make sure that there are no leaking drain pipes there. Leaking pipes underneath your house are not the responsibility of Oak Lodge Sanitary District. You should contact a plumber to repair those problems. If these checks do not tell you the problem, please call our Administration Office at 503-653-1653.

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