Sewer Collections System FAQ's

What part of the sewer system is my responsibility, and what part belongs to NCWP?

In general, NCWP owns and maintains the sewer mains and the portion of your sewer service between the sewer main and the property line. If there’s a problem with a sewer main or with your service between the sewer main and the property line, NCWP will address the issue at no cost to the property owner. If there is an issue with your sewer service between the property line and your building, the responsibility for repair lies with the property owner. NCWP requires all new sewer services to have a cleanout installed near the property line so that we may quickly and easily determine in the field if the problem is NCWP’s responsibility or the property owner’s responsibility.

It smells like sewer inside my property, what can I do about it?

In most cases, the smell is the result of a trap that has gone dry. A trap is the U-shaped part of your drain/pipe that is designed to hold water and stop sewer gasses from coming back up the pipes into your property. Traps are found wherever you have a floor drain, sink, shower, or laundry connection to your property’s interior plumbing. If whatever is connected to that trap isn’t used very often, the water held in the trap can evaporate removing the barrier stopping the sewer gas. 

Our first recommendation is always to add water to all of your traps by using whatever is connected to them – e.g., running the shower that hasn’t been used in months, pouring a half-gallon of water down the floor drain that never gets used, etc. This will refill the trap with water and stop the flow of sewer gasses if that was indeed the issue. In rare cases, we’ve also seen the wax seal underneath toilets be installed improperly – this creates an opening for sewer gasses to escape into your bathroom. If filling traps doesn’t fix the odor problem, try having a plumber come by to check the wax seals on your toilets.

My toilet/sink/fixture is running, and I’m getting an outrageously high water/sewer bill because of it. Can NCWP come out and fix my problem for me?

NCWP policy is not to work on private property, including any of the interior plumbing (with the exception of the water meter). We recommend contacting a licensed plumber for any of your interior plumbing needs.