# The Equipment Behind Our Sewer, Water, and Drain Work in Denver

Denver Sewer and Water diagnoses and repairs underground plumbing using camera equipment, line locators, hydro jetting units, trenchless lining and bursting equipment, and excavation machinery. What each tool shows us changes what we recommend, which is why the diagnosis comes before the price.

- HD push and self-propelled sewer cameras for line inspection.
- Sondes and line locators to trace buried pipe from the surface.
- Hydro jetting units with different nozzles for different blockages.
- CIPP lining and pipe bursting equipment for trenchless replacement.
- Excavators and trench shoring for open excavation work.
- Depth marking so a located line can be dug or bored accurately.

## Why Does the Equipment We Use Matter to You?

Underground plumbing failures are invisible until something is put in the pipe or over the ground to read them. A camera answers what is happening inside the line. A locator answers where that line actually sits, which is frequently different from what old plans or a homeowner's memory suggests. Without both, a repair recommendation is a guess dressed up as a quote.

The type of equipment we bring also determines the range of solutions available. A blockage that a cable machine cannot clear may come out with a hydro jetter and the right nozzle. A pipe that would otherwise require a full trench across a yard may be a candidate for lining or bursting if the camera and locate show it qualifies. Excavation equipment stays the answer where the pipe or site rules out those options.

- Whether a blockage is grease, roots, scale, or a structural collapse.
- The exact depth and path of a buried line before digging.
- Whether a pipe is a candidate for trenchless repair or needs excavation.
- Whether a jetted line is actually clear or just temporarily open.
- Where a lateral crosses other utilities before work starts.
- How much of a run has been affected versus a single damaged section.
- Whether shoring is required for a safe, code-compliant excavation.

## How Each Equipment Class Changes the Recommendation

A push camera works well for shorter residential runs and tight access. A self-propelled camera unit can travel farther and hold steady footage on longer commercial lines, which matters when a run stretches well past a typical residential lateral. A sonde built into the camera head lets us pair the footage with a precise surface locate, so a defect seen on screen gets marked on the ground in the right spot rather than an estimated one.

Hydro jetting units vary by pressure and the nozzle attached: a penetrating nozzle for grease and scale, a root cutting nozzle for intrusion at joints, and a flushing nozzle for general debris. Choosing the wrong nozzle for the blockage either fails to clear it or risks the pipe, so the diagnosis from the camera drives the nozzle choice, not the other way around. CIPP lining and pipe bursting equipment only get recommended where the existing pipe's condition, material, and access support that method, confirmed by the same camera and locate work described above.

- HD push and self-propelled cameras: interior condition and defect location.
- Sondes and locators: exact depth and path of buried pipe from the surface.
- Hydro jetting units and nozzles: clearing grease, scale, roots, and debris.
- CIPP lining: rehabilitating a pipe from the inside without a full trench.
- Pipe bursting: replacing a pipe by breaking out the old one as a new one is pulled through.
- Excavators and trench shoring: safe open access when trenchless methods do not fit.

## How Equipment Gets Chosen on a Job

1. **Camera the line** We run a camera to see pipe material, condition, and the nature of any blockage or defect.
2. **Locate and mark** A sonde and surface locator establish the exact depth and path, marked on the ground.
3. **Match the tool to the finding** Jetting, lining, bursting, or excavation gets chosen based on what the camera and locate actually show.
4. **Confirm after the work** Where the job allows it, we re-camera the line to confirm the repair holds and the pipe is clear.

## What Drives Cost When Specialized Equipment Is Involved

Access to the line, its depth, its length, and its material all affect which equipment applies and how long the work takes. A line that qualifies for trenchless lining is often less disruptive but still depends on the pipe's condition supporting that method.

Excavation cost is driven by depth, distance, what sits above the line, and whether shoring is required for safety. None of these costs are set before the camera and locate work is done, because the equipment used depends on what is actually in the ground.

Call (720) 935-6221 to get your line looked at with the right equipment for your situation.

## Frequently asked questions

**Do you use cameras on every job?**

On sewer and drain diagnosis, yes. A camera inspection is how we confirm pipe material, condition, and the actual cause of a blockage before recommending a repair method.

**How do you know exactly where a buried pipe runs?**

A sonde in the camera head paired with a surface locator lets us trace the pipe's path and depth from above ground and mark it accurately before any digging or trenchless work begins.

**Can hydro jetting damage an old pipe?**

The wrong pressure or nozzle on a deteriorated pipe can cause damage, which is why we camera the line first and choose a nozzle suited to both the blockage and the pipe's condition.

**What is the difference between CIPP lining and pipe bursting?**

CIPP lining installs a new liner inside the existing pipe without removing it. Pipe bursting breaks the old pipe apart while pulling a new pipe through the same path. Which one applies depends on the existing pipe's condition and the site.

**When do you use excavation instead of trenchless methods?**

When the camera and locate show the pipe's condition, material, or alignment will not support a trenchless method, or when site access does not allow the trenchless equipment to be used safely.

**Is your equipment provided or inspected by Denver Water?**

No. Denver Sewer and Water owns and operates our own equipment. We are a private, family owned company and are not Denver Water or the City and County of Denver.

## See This Equipment in Action

- [Sewer Camera Inspection](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/methods/sewer-camera-inspection) How we read a buried sewer line before recommending any repair.
- [Drain Hydro Jetting](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/drain-hydro-jetting) High pressure jetting to clear grease, scale, and root intrusion from drain lines.
- [Sewer Line Excavation](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/sewer-lines/sewer-line-excavation/denver-co) Open excavation where trenchless methods are not the right fit.
- [Drain Locating and Troubleshooting](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/drain-locating-and-troubleshooting) Line tracing and locating to pinpoint problems before work starts.

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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/equipment-and-technology/denver-co