Sewer Line Repair in Conway, SC
Sewer line repair in Conway, SC: City of Conway lines, older homes, Florence flood lessons and water line leaks. Camera first.
- Camera inspection first
- Written, itemized quotes
- Licensed and insured
Photo: Pubdog, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Need sewer line repair in Conway? Myrtle Beach Sewer Line Repair runs a camera through the line first, then repairs or replaces only what the video shows is failing, with a written, itemized quote up front. Inside city limits the City of Conway runs the water and sewer lines, so the city hears about a backup before we dig.
Conway pairs some of the county’s oldest housing with fast growth, right beside the flood-prone Waccamaw River.
Call (843) 429-6659 for a camera inspection and a written quote anywhere in Conway.
Call nowWho supplies Conway’s water and sewer?
The City of Conway runs its own water and sewer lines, shown as a separate “CONWAY W&S” zone on GSWSA’s 2023 service-area map. GSWSA “owns and operates” the 4.0 million-gallon-a-day Conway wastewater plant, upgraded in May 2003, which serves the city and much of western Horry County.
The same map shows a zone southeast of the city labeled “CONWAY W & GSWSA S”: Conway water, GSWSA sewer. Backups there go to GSWSA, whose rule is “Call GSWSA before you call your plumber.” Its crews investigate at any hour, free, at (843) 234-8460, or (843) 443-8200 after hours. Not sure which zone you are in? Ask the city.
How did Hurricane Florence affect Conway’s sewers?
It brought a record flood and a sewage overflow at the Conway plant. NWS Wilmington records that the Waccamaw River at Conway “crested at a record 21.16 feet, breaking its Hurricane Matthew crest by over three feet,” and that “On September 26 raw sewage flowed from the Conway Wastewater Treatment Plant into a tributary that feeds into the Waccamaw River.”
Nearly 1,000 homes and businesses near the river flooded, and Horry County Emergency Management counted 361 damaged homes in Conway.
| Storm | Waccamaw crest at or near Conway | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Matthew, 2016 | 17.87 ft on Oct 18 | a record at the time |
| Florence, 2018 | 21.16 ft | the record |
| Debby, 2024 | 14.9 ft | about 1 ft above major flood stage, almost two weeks after the storm |
Crests can come days or weeks after the storm, so owners near the river have time to prepare:
- Ask whether you need a backwater valve. The state code requires one where fixture flood-level rims sit below the next upstream manhole cover on the public sewer.
- Treat floodwater as contaminated and stay clear of flooded outlets.
- After the water drops, a camera check of any slow drain shows sand, silt or broken joints.
- FloodSmart says flood insurance covers water damage from a sewer that backed up during a heavy rainstorm, not from a backup caused by clogged pipes.
How old are Conway homes?
Older than most of the county, with a fast-growing newer third. In the Census Bureau’s 2020-2024 survey, 15.0% of Conway’s 9,573 housing units were built before 1960 and 32.3% before 1980, against 4.1% and 16.0% countywide; yet 30.9% went up in 2010 or later, and the Bureau’s 2025 population estimate of 30,627 is 22.2% above 2020.
Founded in the 1730s as Kingston, Conway is the county seat (per Horry County’s hazard mitigation plan), and its pipes tell two stories. Pre-1960 homes commonly have vitrified clay or cast iron laterals, and Orangeburg fiber pipe was commonly installed from the 1940s into the early 1970s, so roots, scale and flattened pipe are typical finds. The newest third usually has PVC, where settled backfill can leave bellies. With 1.5% of homes seasonal, someone is usually home to notice a slow drain.
Who owns the sewer and water lines on a Conway property?
We have not been able to confirm the City of Conway’s rules on who owns which part of the sewer lateral and water line, so check with the city before any work starts. Phone the number printed on your water bill and ask:
- Where does the city’s responsibility for the sewer lateral end: the main, the property line or a cleanout?
- Who owns the water line between the meter and the house?
- Which number takes water and sewer emergencies after hours?
- Which office issues plumbing permits, and for what fee?
State rules apply either way. Under South Carolina’s 2021 residential code, replacing a concealed drain or water pipe with new material is new work needing a permit and an inspection, while stopping a leak or clearing a stoppage is exempt. An urgent repair can go first, with the permit application due the next working business day.
Sewer line services in Conway
- Sewer line repair in Conway: spot repairs, point liners and CIPP lining for cracked or root-filled pipe.
- Sewer line replacement in Conway: HDPE by pipe bursting, or Schedule 40 or SDR 35 PVC in an open trench, for a collapsed lateral or fiber pipe.
- Water line repair in Conway: leaks, low pressure and aging galvanized or polybutylene service lines.
- Sewer camera inspection in Conway: video of the whole line, each defect marked on the ground.
- Sewer line cleaning in Conway: roots and scale cleared from older laterals.
- Sewer backup help in Conway: who to call and what to do first; active backups move to the front of our schedule.
Signs of a leaking water line in Conway
A leaking service line usually shows up as a wet patch in the yard, falling pressure or a bill that jumps. GSWSA teaches its customers a simple check: turn off every tap and water-using appliance, then watch the meter’s red triangle flow indicator, or read it, wait 15 minutes and read again. Any movement means a leak; ask the city whether it is on the city’s side.
On the house side, older homes may still have galvanized steel, which corrodes from the inside, or polybutylene, common from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s; new services are usually PEX or polyethylene. SC811 does not mark private water lines, so we trace yours before digging. And never pour gasoline or kerosene into the meter box to kill fire ants: GSWSA warns those chemicals can permeate a plastic service line and contaminate the water.
What happens when you call
- Tell us your address and who handles your sewer, the City of Conway or GSWSA. If sewage is coming up, stop using water and call that utility first.
- We camera the line from a cleanout. If there is none, adding one is often part of the job: the state code wants one within 10 feet of where the building drain meets the building sewer.
- Your written, itemized quote covers the video findings, method, length and depth, permit and inspection, SC811 locates, restoration, any new cleanout, disposal and any utility fees.
- Licensed plumbers covered by liability insurance do the work, and we pull the permit and schedule the inspection.
Other areas we serve
Nearby places we also cover:
Conway sewer line FAQ
Sewage is coming up in my Conway house. Who do I call first?
The utility that handles your sewer. Inside city limits that is the City of Conway; we have not confirmed its emergency number, so check your bill for it. In the GSWSA sewer zone southeast of the city, call GSWSA at (843) 234-8460, or (843) 443-8200 after hours.
Does the City of Conway repair the sewer lateral to my house?
We have not confirmed where the city’s responsibility ends, so ask before any work starts. GSWSA’s standards suggest a property-line split in its own territory, but that is GSWSA, not Conway.
Did Hurricane Florence damage Conway’s sewer system?
Yes. On September 26, 2018, raw sewage flowed from the Conway Wastewater Treatment Plant into a tributary that feeds into the Waccamaw River, NWS Wilmington records. A camera inspection shows whether flooding left sand or silt in your own line.
Who fixes a water leak near the meter in Conway?
Ask the City of Conway first, since the city’s share of the water service is not something we have confirmed. If it is on your side, we trace the line and repair or replace it, with a permit when pipe is replaced.
Is the sewer line in an older Conway home likely to be clay or cast iron?
Often. Census figures show 15.0% of Conway homes were built before 1960, when clay and cast iron laterals were common. The camera shows which.
Sewer or water line trouble?
Call for a camera inspection and a written quote.
Call to get a Conway sewer or water line problem on camera and into a written quote.
Sewer and water line repair for Myrtle Beach, Conway and Horry County. Camera inspection first, written and itemized quotes, licensed plumbers.
Call (843) 429-6659