Drain Cleaning in Dolores, CO

Dolores homes and their sewer lines

Dolores homes include railroad-era houses on the flat along Railroad Avenue and the river, mid-century homes, and newer houses and cabins up the canyon slopes and on acreage nearby.

The Town of Dolores runs water and sewer in town. Homes in the canyon outside town limits use private septic systems.

Older Dolores houses often have cast iron inside and clay service lines that are now well past fifty years old.

Dolores drain problems

Dolores drain calls come from the river, the canyon and old pipe. Cottonwoods and willows along the Dolores River root into clay joints, homes on the flat sit close to the river's high spring water, and shaded canyon lots freeze in winter.

What drain work usually costs in Dolores

Big Bend, the railhead and the Galloping Goose

Settlers built a small community called Big Bend in 1877 at the bend of the Dolores River about two miles west of today's town. When the Rio Grande Southern Railroad set its railhead at the present site in 1891, the town moved to the tracks and took the river's name. The Rio Grande Southern struggled for decades, and in the 1930s it kept going with the Galloping Goose, a gas-powered rail car that carried passengers and freight over the steep narrow-gauge line.

The last run came in December 1951. A year later, members of the Dolores Rotary Club bought Galloping Goose No. 5 for $250 and put it on display in Flanders Park, where it still reminds visitors of the town's railroad roots. Railroad Avenue, also State Highway 145, is still the town's main street.

McPhee Reservoir downstream

Just below town, the Bureau of Reclamation dammed Dolores Canyon as part of the Dolores Project, with construction starting in 1980 and the dam completed in 1985. McPhee Reservoir now fills the lower Dolores Valley, covering the old lumber company town of McPhee. As part of the project, the town's sewage treatment had to be moved out of the reservoir area. The BLM's Anasazi Heritage Center, overlooking the reservoir west of town, displays artifacts recovered before the valley flooded.

Town sewer and your service line

The Town of Dolores runs water and sewer service within town limits. The town maintains its mains, while the service line from your house to the main is generally the property owner's responsibility. Many older homes on the flat along Railroad Avenue have cast iron inside and clay service lines that have been in the ground for more than half a century. Homes in the canyon outside town limits use private septic systems.

River roots and spring runoff

The Dolores River runs right through town, lined with cottonwoods and willows. Their roots grow toward any leaking joint in a clay line, and on the flat near the river they don't have far to go. Spring runoff from the San Juan Mountains raises the river, and with it the groundwater under nearby homes. Water that seeps into cracked lines adds to the flow, and septic fields in wet ground drain slowly. If your drains get sluggish in May and June, mention it when you call.

Shaded canyon lots in winter

Dolores sits in a narrow canyon at about 7,000 feet, and many lots get little direct sun in winter. Cold air settles along the river on clear nights. Drains in crawlspaces, garages and exterior walls freeze during cold spells, especially in older homes. Keep heat on, seal crawlspace vents in fall and open cabinet doors on exterior walls during the coldest nights.

When a Dolores drain backs up

1. 01

   Stop using water

   Hold off on laundry and showers.

2. 02

   Check which fixtures are affected

   One slow fixture means a branch line; everything slow points to the main.

3. 03

   Find the cleanout

   Look near the foundation or in the yard toward the street.

4. 04

   Call the town if neighbors back up

   The problem may be in a town main.

Dolores warning signs

• Willow or cottonwood roots pulled from a Dolores line
• Slow drains during spring runoff
• A drain frozen after a cold canyon night
• Rust flakes from old cast iron
• Odor from a dry floor drain

Cabins and short-term rentals

Anglers, hunters and visitors heading for McPhee, the San Juan National Forest and Mesa Verde keep cabins and rentals around Dolores busy. Guests don't know a home's plumbing, and wipes, paper towels and grease end up in old lines. Post a short note about what can be flushed, keep a trash can in every bathroom and have the line scoped before the busy season if it has had trouble.

Homes up the canyon slopes

Not every Dolores home sits on the flat by the river. Newer houses and cabins climb the canyon slopes above town and spread out along Highway 145 and the roads toward the reservoir. Lines on those lots run steeply at first, then flatten where they meet a sewer connection or a septic tank, and solids can settle at that change in grade. Hillside homes outside town limits rely on septic systems set on whatever level ground the lot offers, often in rocky soil. A camera inspection shows where a line changes slope and whether waste is collecting there, which helps decide between periodic jetting and regrading a short section.

What changes the price in Dolores

A fixture clog is quick. Roots, old clay and cast iron, and thawing add time. Plumbers usually come from Cortez, about 11 miles away. Describe the house and what you've noticed, and ask what a Dolores call should run.