Video of sewer line problems revealed more than expected to the Windsor City Council at its recent meeting.

A camera was sent into the line, which was installed in 1963, to find out the extent of a blockage problem in a main line located in an alley on the east side of town. The same line also services the west side of town.

“There has always been a problem with the line. It keeps on getting progressively worse,” said Water and Sewer Superintendent Rich Reynolds.

“It’s slow running, which is not a big problem until we get a two- to three-inch rain. The rain causes the inflow to back up on the west side of town,” Reynolds said. “It still works, but we need to do something.”

The blocked section is about 360 feet long, or about a city block in length. The camera could not go any farther than 83 feet on one side and 51 feet on the other. The video showed sewer line breakage and cracked and crumbling tile as well as tree roots.

“We had to have someone come and clean roots out (of the line) to get the camera in,” said Water and Sewer Commissioner Walter Ratliff. “We think one of the tiles may have shifted and one of the tap-ons has dropped down and caused the blockage. We know some tiles have cracked almost all the way on both sides and are crumbling. The joints are also pulling out.”

“From what we could see, the tiles are deteriorated,” Reynolds confirmed. “We never could get (the camera) to where the problem was.”

Although there are other problems in the town’s sewer lines, Ratliff said that this section was the worst place in town and that it affects many other things in town.

Ratliff said that the past forty years has taken its toll on the sewer line.

“Back at that time they used the best materials they had,” Ratliff said. “Now they use big PVC pipe. Years from now there may be something better.”

Reynolds said that the city is having Andrew Hanfland, engineer for Farnsworth Group in Effingham, draw up the “scope of work,” which will then be put out for bids. The depth of the line - 22 to 23 feet deep - also adds to the complexity of the job.

“Only certain companies can do the work because of the depth of the line,” Ratliff said.

“Dirt will have to be dug up and hauled off and then hauled back in when the job is done,” Reynolds said.

Both men expect work to be done this summer.