Rutland officials warn of blocked sewer line under Route 7; short-term vac and coring proposed

Dave Sears, Rutland Town Road Commissioner, told the Town of Rutland Select Board on Dec. 3 that repeated blockages are restricting flow in a South End sewer line under Route 7 near Days Inn, Denny’s and a local car wash and are preventing the camera and jetter from reaching the problematic bend.

Sears said crews recovered soda and energy-drink cans and other debris from manholes and that at least one manhole was nearly full, preventing safe camera insertion. “We could only get in about 4 and a half feet where the first bend is in the pipe,” he said, and reported that jetter hoses are stiff and repeatedly snag on successive 45-degree bends, risking damage to equipment.

Why it matters: the flow restriction affects multiple manholes across the roadway and may be exacerbating a new high-flow business connection at the car wash. Sears warned the town could be “overwhelming what is there” if high daily flows continue and described the problem as both an obstruction and an infrastructure shortcoming.

Board discussion focused on immediate containment and inspection. Sears proposed vac’ing (pumping out) the affected manholes at night to reduce flows and allow a camera to reach the pipe under Route 7, and recommended coring a manhole to remove the obstructions and provide a straighter drop that would let crews insert equipment from the Aspen Dental side. He said a local contractor quoted $1,000–$1,500 to core the hole, and that longer-term options include installing a larger-diameter connection (a 10-inch or oversize reducer and new boot) to bypass the current 45-degree geometry.

Sears also noted operational constraints: the Days Inn manhole is roughly 6 feet deep and the Days Inn and Denny’s manholes had differing fill levels, meaning vac’ing could be a sizeable nighttime operation. He said the jetter operators had considered not running their hose again because the hose can get stuck and cutting it back would be expensive.

The board directed staff and the highway committee to coordinate with A1 (the contractor referenced in discussion) to vac the manholes, get a camera down the line and determine whether coring and a temporary or permanent pipe modification are required before winter’s heavier flows. No formal expenditure was approved at the Dec. 3 meeting; Sears said cost estimates will be available as staff secures contractor availability and final scope.

What’s next: The highway committee will pursue contractor coordination, estimate costs for coring and potential pipe reconfiguration, and return to the board with recommended next steps and any request for funding.