Hydro jetting in Ajax uses a high-pressure water jet to clean the inside of drain and sewer pipes, and Hayes Plumbing offers it to Ajax homeowners from our Oshawa shop. Instead of poking a hole through a clog, the nozzle washes the pipe wall from end to end, breaking up grease and the wads of wipes and paper that catch on it. It is the method we turn to when a drain keeps backing up after being snaked, or when a main line is coated with buildup. If we have any doubt about the pipe, we inspect it with a camera before we jet.
Why wipes and grease keep blocking Ajax drains
The Region of Durham is blunt about wipes: even those labelled flushable do not break down the way toilet paper does, and they can clump together and cause blockages and backups. Only pee, poo and toilet paper belong in the toilet, plus small amounts of soapy water.
Grease makes it worse. Fat and oil poured down a sink can harden in cold sewer pipes, and when it meets wipes or rags it can form large clumps. A cable can pull out part of a wipe clog, but the greasy film it was snagged on stays behind. Jetting strips that film off the pipe wall, so the next wipe has less to catch on.
Ajax drains, sewers and storm water are separate systems
In Ajax, the stormwater system is not connected to the sanitary system, according to the Town's Stormwater Management Master Plan. Toilets, sinks, laundry and other plumbing fixtures drain to the Region of Durham's sanitary sewers, and wastewater from Ajax and Pickering travels through about 734 kilometres of sanitary sewer to the Region's Duffin Creek plant in Pickering.
For a sewage backup, the Region's Works Department clears the connection from the main to the property line when the blockage is found outside private property; call 311 or 905-668-7711, or 905-576-9991 after hours. The pipe on your side of the property line is your responsibility to keep clear.
Who repairs a damaged line in Ajax
Sometimes the real problem turns out to be a broken pipe, not a clog. Under the Region's current policy, it repairs residential sewer connections from the property line up to one metre (three feet) from the foundation, and the homeowner is responsible for damage within that metre or inside the house. The Region does not restore lawns, gardens or driveways on private property after its repairs. A camera inspection pinpoints where the damage is, which tells you whose repair it is before anyone digs.
Hydro jetting cost for Ajax homes
As a planning figure, drain cleaning in our 2026 Oshawa plumbing cost guide is $150 to $400, depending on the severity and location of the blockage. Jetting is normally the higher-cost option compared with snaking because it takes more equipment and time, so we confirm the price after we have seen the line. The estimate is free, and the price is put in writing before the job starts.