Pipe Dreams and Plumbing Realities: A Case Study in Facilities Maintenance

What would you do if you had a business and raw sewage was spilling out into your parking lot? Who would you call first?

For one Florida-based retailer, this was no nightmare; it was a harsh reality. Luckily, they dialed DAVACO’s emergency facilities services, and we jumped into the mix.

However, cleaning up this mess involved a lot more than just wrenches and pipes; it involved painstaking problem-solving, communication, and collaboration among multiple parties.

This is a story of twists and turns—get ready to see just what it takes to tackle the unexpected in commercial property maintenance.

Confusion and Contradictions: The Initial Assessment

When our plumber first arrived on site, he met with what should have been a simple question: Is this property using a septic tank or city sewer? Apparently, it was not that cut and dry. The first answer was for septic, but when we sent out a septic tank technician, he said it was connected to the city sewer line.

Each time we sent out a contractor, the reports seemed to conflict.

We finally requested a copy of the site water bill, thinking perhaps the charges would tell the story. And there it was—sewer charges on the bill, indicating the site indeed was connected to the city sewer.

Digging Deeper: Finding the Culprit

Further investigation showed that, although the site once had a septic tank, it had been disconnected years ago and never removed. This further added to the complexity, but still wasn't the real issue causing the overflow. We dug deeper—literally—and found a damaged terracotta pipe with a hole in it that allowed sewage to seep and back up.

Since the condition of the pipe did not allow us to get a camera far enough in to see the blockage, we went back to the drawing board to locate the blockage. Using city and county maps, we traced each plumbing line—a key step in effective drainage system repair.

A Shared Line and a New Development

It so happened that the main sewer line was shared with a neighboring property, and both fed into a private lift station. The connection meant that the blockage—and responsibility—could fall between our client's property line and their neighbor's. We arranged for a simultaneous visit by a pump truck, plumber, and city representative to identify the exact position of the blockage.

After some challenging coordination, we were able to trace the blockage to a section just past our client's property line.

This was an important discovery, because not only was it causing the unsanitary backup into the client's parking lot, but the repairs would also involve both the landlord and the neighboring property owner.

Resolution: Coordination is Power

After two months of research, problem-solving, and continued communication, we were able to provide our client with a detailed timeline and findings. Our report gave them the documentation they needed to work with their landlord and neighbor to sort out responsibility and make the necessary repairs.

Throughout this process, the site required weekly pump-outs to prevent further sewage spills—a critical deployment of our retail facilities management services. This case highlights the importance of preventative maintenance in avoiding costly disruptions like these in the future.

Closing the Case

Facilities issues seldom happen by the book. At DAVACO, we know that each case has its own set of unique challenges, and we're ready to see each one through to resolution. In this case, through non-stop persistence and partnership, we helped this client work their way out of a complicated, convoluted mess. Proof that even the most challenging problems can be solved when the right approach and team are in place.

Our expertise in multi-site facilities management ensures we can handle even the toughest issues for businesses of any size.

If you'd like peace of mind knowing that DAVACO and our dedicated 24/7 facilities maintenance team are ready to handle whatever facility issue resolution you face, please schedule a call with us to learn more and get started.