A university town in the Appalachian foothills
Athens is in Athens County in southeast Ohio, southeast of Columbus, and the 45701 ZIP area covers it, covering the city, the campus and the hills around it. The oldest streets have brick and frame houses from the 1800s and early 1900s, many divided into flats and rooms, and postwar and newer homes spread over the surrounding hills.
Most older houses have a basement, an iron stack and a clay lateral out to the street, and the big trees along many blocks send roots into the old joints.
The hills mean some basements sit well below the street and some lines run steeply, then flatten. Winters are cold, and heavy rain runs down the slopes toward the river.
Not every Athens address is on a sewer main; many rely on private septic.
The academic calendar matters. Move-in weeks and the end of a term put sudden loads on baths and kitchens that sat quiet for months, and a line that was already narrowing can quit on the busiest day.
Rentals often have owners who live elsewhere.
For an Athens house, start with the road name and the nearest crossroad, then the age of the house, then whether a septic tank serves it.
Water at the floor drain: what it tells you
The basement floor drain is the lowest outlet the house has, so a restriction downstream shows there first. Water at that drain while the washer empties, or after a hard rain, points to a problem on the shared line rather than one fixture.
Stop running water, keep people and pets away from the wet area, avoid standing water near outlets and appliances, and call. In a divided house, say which unit noticed it first.
Talk to a Drain TechGet your questions answered.
What part of Athens we cover
You can get a crew anywhere in Athens, OH, ZIP code 45701, from the older streets near campus to the hillside neighborhoods and the country roads around the city.
Clay tile laterals: joints, roots and repeat clogs
Clay tile lateral pipe was laid in short sections, and each joint is a place where roots can enter or where two pieces can shift out of line. A lateral from the 1800s can carry dozens of them on its way to the street.
That is why a cleared clay line can clog again. A camera shows how many joints are affected and whether regular cleaning makes sense.
Nobody can promise the roots will stay away.
Roots Again? Call UsRepeat clog? Tell us what was cleared.
Athens at a glance
Athens is a city and the county seat of Athens County, along the Hocking River about 65 miles southeast of Columbus, with a population of 23,849 at the 2020 census. It is best known as the home of Ohio University, which was founded in 1804, and the median age in 2020 was 22.1. A town with that many students means many rented houses and apartments, and shared drains in rentals are often where a clog gets reported first and the owner is called second.
Common questions about drain cleaning in Athens, OH
Why do roots find clay lines so easily?
Each joint lets a little moisture escape, and roots follow it in. Large trees along the street put roots near old joints.
Can roots be stopped from returning in Athens?
For an Athens home, not reliably. The crew cuts them out, and a camera afterward reveals what is left. Regular cleaning is the usual plan where roots keep returning.
For an Athens home, how do older iron drains differ from plastic ones?
In Athens, iron develops rough scale inside over decades, which gives debris something to catch on. Plastic stays smooth.
Who should call about a clog in a rental in Athens?
For an Athens home, tenants can start the call, and owners or managers approve the work. Give the dispatcher the owner's contact.
Will the crew pump my septic tank in Athens?
For an Athens house, no. The crew cleans pipes inside the house and the line to the tank. Pumping belongs to a septic contractor.
How do I know if I am on septic in Athens?
In Athens, look for a lid or riser in the yard, or ask the previous owner or the county.
Will a camera work on a septic line in Athens?
In Athens, yes. The line from the house to the tank can be viewed.
My address is hard to find. What should I say in Athens?
Around Athens, give the road name, the next junction and something visible from the lane, like a barn or a gate.
Useful service pages for Athens
Read more on the clay-pipe, cast-iron and septic-home questions that come up most in Athens.
Clay Tile Sewer Line ClogsCast Iron Drain CleaningTree Roots in the Sewer LineSeptic Home Drain CleaningMulti-Unit and Two-Family DrainsSewer Camera Inspection
Call for PricingKnow what it costs.
Cast iron indoors: scale and narrowing
Cast iron has a long life, but its inside does not stay smooth. Years of wastewater leave rough scale on the wall, and the passage shrinks. Grease, hair and paper catch on that surface much sooner than they would on plastic.
A cable can open the channel, and jetting scours the wall, but how hard a crew works depends on how sound the iron is. Slow drains on several floors that clear and then slow again are the classic sign of a narrowed stack.
On septic? What a drain crew can and cannot do
Around Athens, on a septic property, clogged sinks, tubs and washer lines are cleared like anywhere else, along with the pipe running outside to the tank. Crews use a cable first and a jetter when the pipe calls for it.
In Athens, the tank and the field are septic contractors' territory. A drain crew can tell you that the pipe is clear, and if the problem lies in a full tank or a saturated field, it will say that too.
For an Athens house, a strainer in every tub and sink, no wipes in the toilet and no grease in the kitchen drain protect both the pipes and the tank.
On Septic? Call About Inside DrainsTell us the story.
More places nearby
Technicians covering Athens also work in Albany and Belpre nearby, Nelsonville to the northwest, and Logan and McConnelsville around the edges.
AlbanyBelpreNelsonvilleLoganMcconnelsvilleAll of Southeast Ohio