Drain Cleaning in Wiggins, CO

Wiggins homes and their sewer lines

Wiggins has older frame and brick houses near Central Avenue, ranch homes from the 1970s and 1980s, manufactured homes and a wave of new subdivision houses built since 2010.

The Town of Wiggins provides water and sewer service in town. Farms and acreages outside the limits use septic systems and wells.

The newest Wiggins homes have PVC drains, while older houses near the original townsite may still have cast iron or clay service lines.

Wiggins drain problems

Wiggins drain calls split between the old town and the new. Older service lines near Central Avenue have roots and worn joints, new houses see construction debris, settled trenches and wipes, and Kiowa Creek, which runs through town, keeps the ground wet in places after storms.

What drain work usually costs in Wiggins

Vallery, Corona and Wiggins

Wiggins began with the railroad. In 1882 the Burlington put a depot here that was called Corona, and before that the site was known as Vallery. Around 1900 the eastern part took the name of Oliver P. Wiggins, a frontier scout who had guided for John C. Fremont, and the Wiggins name eventually covered the whole community. The town did not incorporate until October 1974.

Wiggins has grown fast since then. Its population rose from 893 in 2010 to 1,401 in 2020, as new subdivisions went up within an easy drive of the Denver metro area on I-76. Today the town is governed by a mayor and board of trustees, with a town manager running day-to-day work, including the water and sewer systems.

Town sewer and your service line

The Town of Wiggins supplies water and sewer to homes and businesses in town. A state water board document described roughly 370 active water and sewer taps serving about 330 homes plus commercial and industrial users, a number that has grown with the new subdivisions. The town maintains its mains. The service line from your house out to the main is generally the property owner's responsibility, so a clog or break in that pipe under your yard is yours to fix. Homes on farms and acreages outside town limits use private septic systems instead.

Old town and new subdivisions

Wiggins has two very different kinds of drain lines. Houses near Central Avenue and the original townsite are older, and some still have cast iron under the floor and clay pipe out to the street. Those lines develop root intrusions and worn joints over time. The new houses on the edges of town have PVC from end to end, which roots rarely get into, but new lines have their own issues: construction debris left in the pipe, trenches that settle and leave a low spot, and the wipes and grease that busy households send down.

Kiowa Creek and wet ground

Kiowa Creek runs through Wiggins and has caused serious floods, notably in 1935 and 1973. In the late 1980s, the town and the state built about three miles of levees to take Wiggins out of the 100-year floodplain. The levees protect against major floods, but low areas near the creek can still stay wet after heavy rain. Groundwater can seep into older, cracked service lines and add to the flow, so if your drains slow after storms, mention it when you call.

New construction and settling

Many Wiggins homes are only a few years old. In a new house, a slow main line often comes from a section of pipe that settled after the trench was backfilled, leaving a belly where water and waste sit. Construction debris such as grout, drywall mud or bits of wood can also end up in the line. A camera inspection shows both problems clearly. If your home is still under a builder's warranty, ask the builder about it before paying for repairs, and keep the camera video as a record.

When a Wiggins drain backs up

1. 01

   Stop running water

   Especially laundry and the dishwasher.

2. 02

   See which drains are affected

   One fixture means a branch clog; all fixtures mean the main or service line.

3. 03

   Find the cleanout

   In newer homes it's often outside near the foundation or in the basement; older homes may have it in the yard.

4. 04

   Ask neighbors

   If they are backing up too, call the town about the main.

Wiggins warning signs

• Roots on the cable from an older service line
• A slow main line in a new house
• Gurgling when the dishwasher drains
• Water at a basement floor drain
• Slow drains after heavy rain near Kiowa Creek

Winter on I-76

Wiggins sits on open plains, and winter wind finds every gap. Drains in exterior walls, in garages and under bathroom sinks on outside walls freeze during long cold snaps. Keep garage doors closed, open cabinet doors on cold walls during frigid nights and seal drafts in crawlspaces.

Manufactured homes and acreages around Wiggins

Not every Wiggins household is inside town limits or in a new subdivision. Manufactured homes on lots in and near town have drains that hang under the floor, held up by straps that loosen with time, and a section that sags forms a low spot where waste collects. Check under the home each fall, close gaps in the skirting before the first hard freeze and wrap the drop where the line enters the ground. Out on the acreages along Highway 52 and the county roads, septic systems handle everything, so pump the tank on schedule and keep horse trailers and stock tanks off the leach field.

What changes the price in Wiggins

Most Wiggins clogs are routine. Roots in an older service line, camera work on a new home or jetting grease out of a main take more time. Plumbers come from Fort Morgan, Keenesburg and Brighton, so travel is reasonable. Describe your home's age and what you've noticed, and ask what a Wiggins call should cost.