Drain Cleaning in Cascade-Chipita Park, CO

Cascade-Chipita Park homes and their sewer lines

Many homes began as summer cottages in the early 1900s, when Ute Pass was a resort area, and have been rebuilt or winterized since. Newer homes sit higher on the slopes.

Many homes in the pass rely on septic systems on steep, rocky lots. Check your records to know whether yours is on septic or a sewer line.

Lots are steep and access can be tight, with long stairs and narrow drives.

Cascade-Chipita Park drain problems

Septic backups and clogged lines to the tank are common, and steep ground makes tanks and cleanouts hard to reach. Shaded slopes stay cold, freezing drains in crawlspaces. Old cottage plumbing tied into additions catches debris, and the Waldo Canyon burn scar above the pass sends runoff down in summer storms.

What drain work usually costs in Cascade and Chipita Park

A resort pass turned neighborhood

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Ute Pass was a summer escape for people from Colorado Springs and beyond, with hotels, cottages and a railroad climbing toward the high country. Cascade and Chipita Park grew from those summer settlements. Many of today's homes started as cottages and were rebuilt, expanded or replaced over the decades. That history means a lot of variety under the floors: old cast iron and galvanized drains next to modern PVC additions.

Steep lots and hidden cleanouts

Homes in the pass cling to steep slopes above US 24 and Fountain Creek, reached by narrow roads, long stairs and switchback driveways. Cleanouts and septic tanks are wherever the slope allowed, often downhill and sometimes hard to find. Knowing exactly where yours are, and keeping a path clear to them, makes any drain call faster. If you don't know, a plumber with a camera and locator can find and mark them.

Septic in the pass

Many homes in Cascade and Chipita Park treat wastewater with their own septic systems on rocky ground with limited space for a field. When drains slow throughout the house, check the tank's pumping date first. If the tank is current, the line from the house is the likely problem. Lines on steep slopes can clog at bends or where the pipe enters the tank.

The Waldo Canyon burn scar

The 2012 Waldo Canyon Fire burned the slopes north of US 24, and for years afterward summer storms sent floods and debris down the drainages into Manitou Springs and parts of Ute Pass. Vegetation has been recovering, but heavy monsoon rain can still send fast runoff toward homes below. Keeping window wells, area drains and gutters clear helps, and if muddy water ever reaches a basement floor drain, have the line cleared so silt doesn't settle in it.

Shade and cold on north slopes

Homes on the south side of the pass, facing north, get little winter sun, and their yards and crawlspaces stay cold for weeks. On those Ute Pass lots, the crawlspace, deck and outside-wall drains are the first to freeze. Insulating those lines, closing crawlspace vents in winter and keeping a little heat in cold spaces prevent most freezes.

A simple plan for a Ute Pass home

1. 01

   Know your system

   Septic or sewer, and where the cleanout and tank are.

2. 02

   Keep storm drains clear

   Window wells, area drains and gutters before monsoon season.

3. 03

   Insulate cold spots

   Crawlspaces and decks on north-facing slopes.

4. 04

   Pump on schedule

   Every three to five years for most septic systems.

Cascade and Chipita Park drain warning signs

• Slow drains everywhere at once
• A drain that freezes on a shaded slope
• Muddy water at a floor drain after a storm
• Gurgling from an old cottage bathroom
• Sewer smell near the tank lids

Pikes Peak Highway visitors and rentals

The Pikes Peak Highway starts at Cascade, and summer traffic heading to the summit passes right through. Some homes in the pass are rentals or guest cabins for visitors. Busy summer weekends put more load on septic systems and older lines. Reminding guests to keep wipes and grease out of drains helps.

What affects the cost in Ute Pass

Simple clogs are routine. Steep access, hidden cleanouts, septic lines, frozen pipe and silt from storms take more time. Tell the plumber about stairs and parking, and say where the cleanout is if you know.

Fountain Creek through the pass

Fountain Creek runs through the bottom of Ute Pass alongside US 24, and homes near the creek sit on damp, rocky ground with willows and cottonwoods. Older lines near the water see roots. During heavy storms, the creek can rise fast, and low-lying homes should keep floor drains and basement openings protected.

Cottage plumbing that grew

Many homes in Cascade and Chipita Park began as small summer cottages with a single bathroom and a simple drain. Decades of additions brought more bathrooms, laundry and bigger kitchens, all tied into that original line. If the old drain is undersized or poorly sloped for the new load, it clogs more often. A camera inspection shows whether the original line can handle today's use.

Green Mountain Falls and neighbors

Up the pass, Green Mountain Falls and the homes around it share the same steep, wooded terrain and the same drain challenges: septic systems on tight lots, cold shaded slopes and old cottage plumbing. Homeowners throughout Ute Pass do well to know their system, mark their cleanouts and tanks, and keep a record of every pumping and drain call.

Snow on the pass

Ute Pass can get heavy snow while Colorado Springs stays dry. Steep driveways and narrow roads become slick, and cleanouts and septic lids disappear. A tall marker on the cleanout and tank, and a cleared path to them, make a winter call much easier.

Mail, parking and directions

Addresses in the pass can be hard to find, with homes hidden above or below the road. Clear directions, a porch light at night and a note about parking help the plumber reach you quickly.