What is the NW Natural’s Cross-Bore program?

NW Natural’s authorized contractors do work to service and upgrade natural gas lines. Sometimes this work involves drilling or boring gas supply lines from the gas main to a house or building. During this process there is the potential to drill the gas line through an existing sewer line. To ensure this has not happened and that there is no damage to your sewer lines a video sewer inspection is done after the natural gas work is completed.

What does this mean to you, the homeowner or tenant?

We need to access the sewer line to do this video sewer inspection or sewer scope. Access to the sewer line is done through a capped pipe called a cleanout, where the cap is unscrewed and a sewer scope rodder is pushed into the line to view the inside of the pipe. Access to this cleanout is usually found on the exterior of the home. In these cases we can perform the sewer scope all on our own and you do not need to be present.

In some cases the sewer cleanout is located in the basement of the home. In these cases we will need interior access into the home in order to verify the sewer line was not impacted by the natural gas work.

If you know your sewer cleanout is located in your basement (or other hidden location) please use the below contact form and we will try to schedule the sewer scope for a time when we can get access.

I received a door hanger, what do I do?

No action is required on your part right away; however if you know the only cleanout access is in your basement please contact us as we will need to access that area to complete this job.

If you found a door hanger then we will send a technician to perform the video sewer inspection at some point in the next 2-3 weeks.

If we arrive and you are not home we will attempt to do the scope from the exterior of the building. If we cannot find a cleanout or access point we will leave a door hanger asking you to contact us so that we can locate the cleanout and try to schedule a time when we can get access to the cleanout.

If it appears the sewer access is only from the main sewer vent stack on the roof we will return another time and attempt the scope from the roof at that point.