Description
Repair, rehabilitate, and replace damaged or clogged sewer lines and related structures. Locate faults, excavate, cut and join pipe, seal and test joints, operate cleaning and inspection equipment, restore surfaces, and document work.
- • Update sewer maps, manhole charts, and repair logs.
- • Drive trucks to transport crews, tools, pipe, and equipment to job sites.
- • Communicate with supervisors and crews via radios or mobile devices.
- • Document inspections, repairs, materials used, and site conditions.
- • Operate sewer cleaning equipment, including power rodders, high-pressure water jets, flushers, and vac trucks.
- • Verify repaired sewer joints and connections are watertight before backfilling.
- • Retrieve cables and inspect for roots, grease, and debris indicating breaks or clogs.
- • Install appropriate rotary knives or cutting heads on flexible cables by pipe diameter.
- • Measure and mark excavation limits using snakes, tapelines, or cutting head lengths.
- • Locate defects with specialized locating equipment and mark dig points to access damaged sewer lines.
- • Repair and clean sewer lines and related structures such as manholes, culverts, and catch basins.
- • Feed and control revolving cables or rods, changing knives to match pipe sizes.
- • Service and perform minor repairs on machines, tools, and attachments.
- • Inspect manholes to identify sewer stoppages and structural issues.
- • Cut out damaged pipe, remove broken sections, and install replacement sections with sleeves or couplers.
- • Excavate to expose sewer lines manually when required.
- • Break pavement to access buried pipes using air hammers, picks, and shovels.
- • Backfill and compact excavations over repaired pipes using air or gasoline tampers.
- • Requisition parts, pipe, fittings, and equipment as needed.
- • Rotate and advance cleaning rods manually with turning pins.
- • Clean and disinfect areas affected by sewer backups or overflows.
- • Tap mainline sewers and install saddles or cleanouts as part of repairs.
Related specializations
Interview options
Interview options
Interviewee gender
Interviewee accent
Interview time
Related Pathways
Energy & Natural Resources
View
Source
Tasks & skills:
O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
Learn more
Sources & Standards:
This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
