Drain and sewer work built around how Wichita is actually plumbed

Wichita's drain problems are mostly a function of two things: what the sewer laterals are made of, and what is growing above them. Houses in Riverside, College Hill, Delano and the older parts of the east side were laid with clay tile or cast iron, and both fail in ways that a modern PVC lateral does not. Clay tile fails at the joints, which is exactly where roots get in.

The tree canopy is the other half. Wichita planted heavily in elm, cottonwood and silver maple, and those species send roots a long way looking for water. A clay joint weeping a little moisture is a target, and once a root is through it, the blockage comes back every year until the line is repaired rather than just cleared.

The rest of the work follows the water itself. Wichita draws hard water, and hard water scales water heaters, shortens their life and clogs fixtures. Basements are standard here, which means floor drains, sump pumps and the question of what happens when the main backs up during a heavy rain.