Drain Cleaning in Ridgway, CO

Ridgway homes and their sewer lines

Ridgway's historic grid near Railroad Street keeps a few late 1800s buildings and many small older houses, but most of the town's homes are newer: the population grew about 28 percent between 2010 and 2020, and new houses keep filling lots and subdivisions.

The Town of Ridgway runs water and sewer. Its water comes mainly from Lake Otonawanda, and a 2019 assessment of the sewer system covered mains, service connections, lift stations and the town's treatment plant. Homes in Loghill Village, Colona and the county around town mostly use septic.

Newer Ridgway houses are PVC throughout; older ones may still have cast iron inside and clay to the main.

Ridgway drain problems

Ridgway drain calls range from frozen lines in a cold valley to roots from the cottonwoods along the river and grease in a busy rental kitchen. Newer homes also have their share, mostly from wipes, construction debris and lines that settled after building.

Ridgway drain cleaning price ranges

A railroad junction that refused to die

Ridgway was laid out as a junction where the Denver and Rio Grande's line from Montrose to Ouray met the Rio Grande Southern, which ran west and south to Telluride and on to Durango. The town took its name from Robert M. Ridgway, a superintendent of the D&RG, and incorporated in 1891. The Rio Grande Southern filed for abandonment in 1952, the line to Ouray came out in 1953, and the last tracks to Montrose went in 1976 after the river below town was dammed.

That dam nearly took the town with it. When the Bureau of Reclamation planned a reservoir on the Uncompahgre, early designs would have flooded Ridgway. A 1975 decision moved the dam downstream, and the town survived. Ridgway State Park now surrounds the reservoir north of town, and the film True Grit put Ridgway's streets on screen in 1969.

Growth on an old grid

Ridgway's population grew by about 28 percent between 2010 and 2020, and new houses have filled lots on the old grid and in subdivisions east and south of downtown. That mix shapes the drain calls. Older houses near Railroad Street may have cast iron inside and clay to the main. Newer homes are PVC, but a new line is only as good as its bedding: backfill that settled after construction can leave a belly that holds water and collects paper, and construction debris sometimes ends up in the line itself. A camera inspection is a smart step for a new Ridgway home that drains slowly from the start.

Town water, town sewer and the 2019 assessment

The Town of Ridgway runs both water and sewer. Its drinking water comes mainly from Lake Otonawanda, and in 2025 the town replaced about 4,000 feet of 40-year-old ductile iron water main. On the sewer side, a 2019 capital assessment covered the collection mains, service connections, lift stations and the treatment plant, and early 2026 reports said sewer rates may rise to pay for state-required improvements. The public mains are the town's job. The lateral from the house to the main, with its cleanout, belongs to the owner.

Cold air in the valley

Ridgway sits in the Uncompahgre Valley with the Sneffels Range to the southwest, and on clear winter nights cold air slides off the slopes and pools along the river. The town's record low is 36 below zero, and snowfall averages around 80 inches a year. Drains in crawlspaces, along north walls, and in garages or mudrooms with little heat are the ones that freeze. Keep crawlspace vents closed in winter, insulate exposed drain pipe, and keep heat in rooms with plumbing. A drain that freezes overnight usually clears once the space warms; one that stays frozen needs a thaw.

Cottonwoods along the Uncompahgre

Cottonwoods and willows line the Uncompahgre and Dallas Creek, and many older Ridgway lots have big trees close to the house. Their roots are drawn to moisture, and a clay sewer joint that leaks a little is a steady supply. Root growth narrows the pipe until paper catches and the line backs up. A root cutter clears it; a camera then shows whether the pipe is sound enough for regular cutting or needs a repair. Plant new trees well away from the sewer route.

Visitors, rentals and busy kitchens

Ridgway draws visitors for the state park, the hot springs nearby, the San Juan Skyway and the mountains, and some homes in town are rented to guests. Rental plumbing sees more use and less care: cooking grease poured down the sink, wipes flushed, and showers running all day in peak season. A small sign asking guests not to flush wipes and a sink strainer help. For a rental with repeat clogs, a camera inspection and scheduled jetting can stop the pattern before it ruins a booking.

Septic in Loghill Village and Colona

Loghill Village, on the mesa west of town, and Colona to the north are mostly on septic. Rocky, clay-heavy soils and a short warm season mean leach fields can be slow to accept water, especially during snowmelt. Pump the tank every three to five years, keep heavy vehicles off the field, and watch for wet spots or a sewage smell. A plumber can clear a blocked line between the house and the tank; a septic contractor handles pumping and field repairs.

If a Ridgway drain backs up

1. 01

   Stop using water

   Don't run the washer or dishwasher in a Ridgway house with a backup.

2. 02

   Check the weather

   After a subzero night, a single stopped drain is likely frozen.

3. 03

   Find the cleanout

   Usually outside between the house and the street, or in a crawlspace or basement.

4. 04

   Ask about travel

   Many plumbers come from Montrose or Ouray; ask about trip charges.

Ridgway warning signs

• A toilet in a Ridgway rental that clogs again and again
• Gurgling in a basement floor drain when the washer runs
• Roots on the snake after clearing a line near the river
• A drain that stops only after the coldest nights
• A wet, smelly spot over a Loghill Village leach field