Today started off with a bad sewer backup. Larry Rabe tried to use our 75 foot snake, but with no success. I called Gene Perkins, but he was out of town. However, he sent a crew over with a 100 foot snake. All the 500 and 600 units were affected. They started on the last overflowing cleanout at the corner of 601. The snake would not reach the clog.
Work then shifted to the front of unit 604. There were not other cleanouts between 601 and the maintenance shed. A hole was drilled in the sewer here and this time the snake would not penetrate the clog.
Next a hole was dug to expose the sewer at the corner of 608 and a hole was drilled in this pipe. This time the snake only went down about 16 feet and stopped. After more tries, a small hole was make in the clog to allow the water to drain, but the snake cutting blade would not go through.
By using the length from the previous attempt, a hole was dug to try to locate the section of stopped up sewer. The ground proved to be too difficult to expand the hole. Gene arrived from out of town and we decided to try again in the morning with a mini excavator to dig into this area. They tried to push the snake from the cleanout in front of the maintenance shed, but it again stopped about the same point as when the snake started from the opposite direction. Gene believes either the palm tree here has sent roots into the sewer or the pipe has broken from a shift in the ground or pressure from above. I guess we will find out tomorrow. Gene will then install cleanouts at the two places where the pipes were drilled open. He will also install new wax rings in the units that had a problem. There may be more affected units, but I don't have all those keys.
Meanwhile, I talked to Brad at B&R Electrical this morning. We are having some electrical issues in the bayside electrical boxes. He will come out tomorrow to evaluate and give a cost estimate.
I contacted the AEP today to tell them we have some street light problems that I reported earlier. Their records show they were repaired. They will reissue a workorder.
While all this was going on, the winter Texans had their best red fishing day of the season. I guess that's the Ying and Yang of things.
Pier fishing last evening was absolutely nil. I went out about midnight and did not see any aquatic life and none wanted my lures.