# Hydro Jetting for Buried Drain and Sewer Lateral Lines

Hydro jetting uses a high pressure water stream to strip roots, grease, and mineral scale from the walls of a buried drain or sewer lateral, restoring the pipe's full diameter instead of just punching a hole through the blockage. Denver Sewer and Water jets the underground run from the building drain to the connection, not the interior branch lines behind fixtures.

- High pressure jetting sized to the buried pipe diameter.
- Root cutting, penetrating, and descaling nozzle heads.
- Camera survey before and after jetting to confirm results.
- Grease, scale, and root mass stripped from pipe walls.
- Residential and commercial buried drain and lateral lines.

## When Does a Buried Line Need Jetting Instead of Snaking?

Cabling clears a path through a clog. It does not remove grease coating the pipe wall, it does not strip root hair growing through a cracked joint, and it does not touch mineral scale that has built up on older cast iron or clay pipe over decades. Those all narrow the working diameter of the line even after a cable has made it passable again, which is why a cabled line so often clogs again in the same place.

We recommend jetting when the camera shows buildup coating the pipe wall, roots that have grown into a mass rather than a single strand, or a history of the same section clogging repeatedly despite regular cabling. On a buried line already confirmed sound by camera, jetting is a maintenance tool as much as a repair.

- The same section of buried line clogs again within weeks of cabling.
- Camera shows grease or scale coating the pipe wall.
- Root mass has grown through a joint rather than a single strand.
- Flow is consistently slow even between full blockages.
- The line has not been cleaned in several years and its condition is unknown.

## How a Buried Drain Jetting Job Runs

1. **Camera survey first** We run the camera to confirm the pipe is structurally sound enough to jet and to see what is actually coating the wall.
2. **Locate and mark depth** Where the line's path is not already documented, a sonde locate marks it before work begins.
3. **Select the jetting nozzle** A root cutting head for root mass, a penetrating nozzle for a hard blockage, or a descaling head for grease and mineral buildup, matched to what the camera found.
4. **Jet the full run** The hose is fed to the far end and pulled back, scouring the pipe wall on the return pass rather than just the blockage point.
5. **Post-jet verification scope** The camera runs the line again to confirm the wall is actually clean, not just that water is flowing.

## What Drives Buried Drain Jetting Cost

Line length, pipe diameter, how much material has to come off the wall, and whether the line needs locating before access all move the number. A line already confirmed clean by camera with a known access point is a straightforward job.

We camera before jetting because high pressure applied to a cracked or separated pipe can widen the defect, and that inspection sets the price instead of a guess.

Call (720) 935-6221 to get the buried line evaluated.

## Frequently asked questions

**Do you jet the pipes inside my walls too?**

No. Interior branch line jetting behind fixtures is handled by our sister company Afford-A-Rooter Plumbing. We jet the buried drain and lateral running from the building out to the connection point.

**Is jetting safe for an old clay or cast iron buried line?**

It depends on the pipe's actual condition, which is why we camera first. A structurally sound older line handles jetting well. A line already cracked or badly corroded may need repair before jetting rather than after.

**How is jetting different from snaking a buried drain?**

Snaking cuts a path through the blockage. Jetting scours the entire pipe wall on the way back, removing grease, scale, and root growth that a cable never touches, which is why jetted lines tend to stay clear longer.

**Can jetting cut through roots on its own?**

A root cutting nozzle head can cut through root mass, but jetting does not remove the crack or joint separation the roots are entering through. We flag that in the camera findings when it applies.

**Do you verify the line is actually clean afterward?**

Yes, a post-jet camera pass confirms the pipe wall is clear, rather than just confirming that water is currently draining.

**Are you affiliated with Denver Water's utility crews?**

No. Denver Sewer and Water is a private, family owned and operated company. We are not Denver Water or the City and County of Denver. We work on the privately owned buried drain line on your property, from the building drain out to the connection point.

## Related Buried Drain Services

- [Drain Inspection and Cleaning](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/drain-inspection-and-cleaning) Camera-led inspection and cleaning of the buried drain line before anyone quotes work.
- [Drain Scope and Video Inspection](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/drain-scope-and-video-inspection) Camera survey of the buried drain from the building foundation out to the main.
- [Drain Locating and Troubleshooting](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/drain-locating-and-troubleshooting) Sonde locating and depth marking to find a buried drain line that has no record.
- [Emergency Drain Cleaning](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/emergency-drain-cleaning) Fast response for a backed up or collapsed buried drain line.
- [Hydro Jetting and Descaling](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/methods/hydro-jetting-descaling) The equipment and nozzle selection behind a real jetting job.

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Denver Sewer and Water is a privately owned, licensed and insured plumbing contractor. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Denver Water, the municipal water utility, or any government entity. To pay a municipal water bill or reach the public utility, visit denverwater.org.

Source: https://www.denversewerandwater.com/drain-hydro-jetting