The City of El Cajon operates the public sewer, but the pipes in your home and the lateral out to the City main are the owner's to maintain. When a sink, tub or toilet backs up, a plumber can find and clear the blockage and tell you what caused it. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in El Cajon.
Why do El Cajon homes see so many repeat clogs?
El Cajon's housing is older than much of the county. Housing data put the median home at 1974, so a large share of houses still have their original drain piping. In homes of that era, a plumber may find cast iron inside the house, where rust scale and rough walls catch grease and paper, and clay or older pipe in the yard, where joints shift and let roots in. A line like that can be cleared and still clog again within months. Newer remodels and plastic pipe tend to clog only because of what goes down them. If an older El Cajon home keeps backing up on the same line, ask about a camera inspection once the clog is open.
Is a backed-up main my problem or the City's?
The Wastewater division of the City's Engineering Services works with Public Works Operations to manage El Cajon's collection system, and the City offers sewer lateral inspections. As a rule, a clog in your fixtures or your lateral is a private repair, and a plumber starts there. If your line is cleared and water still will not move, or sewage is spilling from a manhole or into the street, report it to Public Works Operations at (619) 441-1658 during business hours or to El Cajon Police at (619) 579-3311 after hours. Water service here comes from either Helix Water District or Padre Dam Municipal Water District depending on the address, but that does not change who handles the sewer.
Will drain work need a permit?
Running a cable or jetter through a line is service work. If the plumber finds a broken or collapsed section of drain or sewer pipe that has to be replaced, that is new piping, and permit questions go to the City of El Cajon Building Safety Division at 619-441-1726. The plumber who takes on the repair should explain how the permit and inspection will be handled before digging starts.
A local note
Hard water is part of the picture in El Cajon's showers and tubs. Helix Water District reports its plant water averages about 12 grains per gallon. Minerals combine with soap to form a film that slowly narrows bathroom drain lines, so a shower that drains a little slower each month is more often buildup than a single plug. Jetting or a thorough cabling of the branch line usually restores full flow.
Drain Cleaning questions in El Cajon
Who do I call if sewage is spilling from a manhole or the street?
Are older cast iron and clay drain lines harder to clear?
Do tree and shrub roots really get into sewer laterals?
Why is every drain in the house slow at the same time?
More plumbing services in El Cajon
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