Hydro jetting cleans a Lorton main drain or sewer lateral with a pressurized stream of water that scrubs grease, soap residue, debris and roots off the inside of the pipe. Most Lorton homes are fairly new, so the pipe is usually sound and the buildup is the problem. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Lorton.
Lorton sits in southern Fairfax County between Fort Belvoir and the Occoquan River, and it's mostly newer housing: only about 17% of homes in ZIP 22079 were built before 1980, and the 2000s were the biggest building decade. The area around the former reformatory is now its own census area, Laurel Hill, but shares the Lorton name. Fairfax County Wastewater Management runs the public sewer here, and the County's Noman M. Cole, Jr. Water Recycling Facility, its wastewater treatment plant, is in Lorton itself. County code makes the property owner responsible for the private lateral.
What to do now
- Stop using water: no laundry, dishwasher or showers until the line is open.
- See whether the backup shows at the lowest drain only or at several fixtures.
- If sewage comes up with nothing running, call Fairfax County's 24-hour sewer emergency line, 703-323-1211, so crews can check the main.
- Find the cleanout, often a capped pipe near the foundation or in the front yard.
- Skip chemical drain openers; they rarely reach a main-line clog and make the work riskier for whoever opens the line.
Symptoms and likely causes
| Symptom | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Basement shower fills when the washer drains | Clog in the main building drain |
| Kitchen drain slow again weeks after snaking | Grease coating left on the pipe wall |
| Toilets bubbling as other fixtures drain | Partial blockage downstream |
| Wet ground or odor along the lateral path | Leak or break in the lateral |
| Neighbors backing up too | A problem in the County main |
Cost factors
- Cleanout access and how far the lateral runs
- Grease and wipes versus roots
- A camera inspection before or after cleaning
- After-hours or weekend timing
- Townhouse lines that serve more than one unit
In newer Lorton homes, plastic pipe handles jetting well. A camera pass still earns its keep, because it can spot a joint that shifted or a low spot where waste collects. If repair is needed, the permit comes from Fairfax County Land Development Services, applied for online through PLUS. Once the line is clean, keeping grease out of the kitchen sink and wipes out of the toilets is the best way to keep it that way.
Hydro Jetting questions in Lorton
Does a newer house with PVC drains ever need jetting?
Sewage is backing up. Should I call the sewer utility or a plumber first?
How can I keep a freshly jetted line from clogging again?
Do I need a permit to have a drain line jetted?
More plumbing services in Lorton
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