Serving ZIP 89117, 89128
Polybutylene checks, water heater work and irrigation leak detection for the homes around Lake Sahara
Active Plumbing has provided drain & sewer services to The Lakes, Las Vegas since 1991. License #0047021. Fully insured.
Get Your Quote
Open 24/7. Written price before work starts.
BBB A+ Rated
Accredited Business with an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.
Licensed & Insured
Nevada plumbing contractor - Lic #0047021 - with full liability coverage.
Since 1991
35+ years serving the Las Vegas Valley - family-owned and operated.
24/7 Emergency Service
Nights, weekends, and holidays - real emergency response across the Valley.
Plumbing for The Lakes, the mid-1980s to mid-1990s community around Lake Sahara in ZIP 89117, inside the City of Las Vegas. Polybutylene checks, copper pinhole leaks, water heaters, expansion tanks and irrigation leaks, 24/7.
The Lakes is a two-square-mile master-planned community in ZIP 89117, built from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s around man-made Lake Sahara, reached by Lake Sahara Drive. It sits between Sahara Avenue, Durango Drive, Desert Inn Road and Hualapai Way, with M.J. Christensen Elementary inside it. It is not part of Summerlin, and although Spring Valley and Summerlin South around it are unincorporated Clark County, The Lakes is inside the City of Las Vegas. Mailing addresses read Las Vegas, NV on both sides of that line, so permits for work here go to the City of Las Vegas building department, and the parcel record is the reliable check.
Drain cleaning, sewer camera inspection, hydro-jetting and sewer line repair in The Lakes involve the same basic tools as anywhere in the valley, but the community's specific conditions shape how each job is planned. Homes built from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s around Lake Sahara carry forty-year-old drain lines, extensive irrigation, and slab-on-grade construction throughout. Very hard water at about 280 parts per million accelerates scale buildup inside those lines, and caliche hardpan beneath the lots makes any exterior excavation for sewer repair slower and more costly than it looks on paper.
At roughly 280 parts per million, Southern Nevada water leaves calcium scale on the interior walls of drain lines over time. In forty-year-old pipes, that scale narrows the bore and catches grease and debris, turning what looks like a simple clog into a buildup problem that cabling alone will not fully clear. Hydro-jetting scours the pipe wall back to its full diameter, and homes in The Lakes that have never had it done are likely candidates.
Caliche hardpan beneath The Lakes makes excavation for sewer line repair slower and more expensive than in softer ground. Because the cost of opening the ground is real, a camera inspection before any repair bid is especially important here: it shows the exact location and extent of damage so the trench, if one is needed, goes in the right place the first time. Digging without that information risks a longer cut through caliche and a higher final cost.
Many Lakes homes were built without a usable exterior cleanout, or with one that is now buried under mature landscaping or cracked from age. On a slab-on-grade home, the absence of a cleanout means drain cleaning must go through a toilet or a roof vent rather than a direct access point, which limits what equipment can be used and how far into the line a camera or cable can reach. Adding a cleanout at the time of a drain or sewer service resolves that for every future call.
The Lakes carries extensive common-area and private irrigation around Lake Sahara, and lakefront lots often have long irrigation runs under mature landscaping. When a sewer line repair requires excavation near those runs, the scope of the dig needs to account for irrigation lines that may cross the path. Establishing what is in the ground before work starts, and confirming with the association which lines belong to the homeowner versus common-area systems, avoids unexpected damage and disputes over responsibility.
Get Your Quote
Tell us what's going on and we'll get back to you. We're open 24/7.
Local Knowledge
Forty years of very hard water at about 280 parts per million leaves calcium deposits on the interior walls of drain lines in The Lakes. A line that cables clear quickly but slows again within weeks is often narrowed by scale rather than blocked by debris. Cabling cuts through the obstruction but leaves the buildup behind, and hydro-jetting is needed to restore the full bore.
Many Lakes homes built in the mid-1980s to mid-1990s either lack an exterior cleanout or have one buried under mature landscaping or cracked from age. Without direct access, a plumber must work through a toilet or roof vent, which limits cable reach and makes camera inspection harder. The absence of a cleanout also means every future drain service takes longer and costs more than it should.
Extensive private and common-area irrigation around Lake Sahara means buried irrigation lines frequently cross the path of a sewer lateral repair trench. Hitting an irrigation line mid-dig adds scope and cost to a job that was already slower because of caliche hardpan. Knowing what is in the ground before the first cut, and confirming which lines belong to the homeowner versus the association, prevents that surprise.
A main line that backs up again within weeks of being cabled usually has a structural cause rather than a debris problem. In forty-year-old slab homes in The Lakes, root intrusion at a joint, a belly from settled backfill, or scale buildup that cabling does not remove are the typical culprits. A camera inspection after the next clearing identifies which issue is present and whether a repair or hydro-jetting is the right response.
Several pockets within The Lakes are gated, and a plumber who arrives without arranged access cannot reach the property. On an emergency drain call, a backed-up main line or sewage at a floor drain cannot wait while access is sorted out at the gate. Giving your plumber the gate code or arranging entry in advance is especially important for after-hours calls.
What we offer in The Lakes
A slow sink is an annoyance, but several slow drains at once usually means the main line is involved. Active Plumbing clears kitchen sinks, bathroom sinks, tubs, showers, toilets, floor drains and laundry lines with cable machines or hydro-jetting, and uses a camera where the cause needs confirming. You get a written price before any work starts.
Learn more →Repeat clogs, slow drains throughout the house and sewer odors all have a cause you can see on camera. We run a waterproof HD camera through your sewer line from a cleanout, record the full run and walk you through the footage. You get a clear picture of roots, bellies, offset joints, cracks or scale before anyone digs or quotes a repair.
Learn more →When a cable machine only punches a hole through a blockage, hydro-jetting cleans the whole pipe wall. Active Plumbing pairs high-pressure water jetting with mechanical root cutting to clear sewer and drain lines across the Las Vegas Valley. Where the line is older or has a history, a camera look comes first so the method suits the pipe.
Learn more →Roots, offset joints, bellies, corrosion and collapse all end the same way - a main line that stops carrying waste away from the house. We repair or replace damaged sewer lines with spot repairs, trenchless lining, pipe bursting or open-cut replacement. The camera decides which method fits, and you see the evidence before you choose.
Learn more →A sewer cleanout is the doorway into your main line. With one in the right place, a plumber can run a camera, cable or hydro-jet without pulling a toilet or going through a roof vent. Active Plumbing installs and replaces cleanouts across the Las Vegas Valley and gives you a written price before work starts.
Learn more →Call (702) 438-3357 and tell us which drain is affected and whether it is slow or fully stopped. We can give a general idea of pricing on the phone.
A technician arrives in 30 to 60 minutes, checks which fixtures are affected to tell a branch clog from a main line problem, and gives you a written price before work starts.
We clear the drain with a cable machine or hydro-jet as the line requires, running a camera where the cause or the result needs confirming.
We show you what caused the blockage, recommend any repair if the pipe itself is defective, clean up the work area and follow up after the job.
Ready to Get Started?
Trusted plumber in The Lakes, Las Vegas. Call now or book online. Technicians arrive in 30 to 60 minutes.
Local Tips
If your main line has never had hydro-jetting, schedule it before late summer. Monsoon storms can push a partially scaled or partially blocked line into a full backup quickly, and clearing it beforehand is less disruptive than an emergency call.
Ask about adding a cleanout the next time a plumber accesses your main line through a toilet or vent. Cleanout installation typically runs $250 to $600 in the Las Vegas Valley and makes every future drain or camera service faster and less invasive.
Before any sewer excavation near the lake frontage or common-area landscaping, contact your association or its management company to confirm which buried lines belong to you and which belong to the association. That conversation before the dig prevents disputes after it.
Request recorded camera footage after a sewer line repair, not only before. Post-repair footage confirms the fix was completed as described and gives you a baseline record of the line's condition that is useful for future service calls or a home sale.
If you manage or rent out a Lakes home, make sure your tenant or property manager knows who to call and who authorizes repair work. Gated access instructions should be part of that information so a plumber can reach the property without delay on an emergency call.
Need Drain & Sewer Services in The Lakes? We're Open 24/7.
Serving The Lakes, Las Vegas and all of Clark County
Real reviews from The Lakes and nearby Las Vegas neighborhoods.
A slab-on-grade ranch had a mystery hiss under the dining room. Thermal camera plus a listening disc marked one tile only. We were in Artesian Heights, Las Vegas. Dinner was back at that table the next night.
Willa D.
Artesian Heights, Las Vegas
Google review, February 2026
The garbage disposal hummed and then tripped the breaker. They replaced the unit, reset the air gap, and checked the trap. That call was from Artesian Heights. The sink handles onion peels again.
Vaughn C.
Artesian Heights, Las Vegas
Google review, February 2026
To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to commend the excellent service I received from Active Plumbing on March 28, 2025. Ace Palmer was the service technician who assisted me, arriving promptly as scheduled. I had an unknown leak in my kitchen that was causing my entire kitchen floor to get wet, and I couldn't identify the source. Ace Palmer quickly assessed the situation, identified the cracked drain pipe and went above and beyond to resolve the issue, even staying late to ensure the problem was completely fixed. I highly recommend Ace Palmer from Active Plumbing, for any plumbing needs you may have. Sincerely, Shane Adam Johnson
Shane Johnson
Las Vegas
Google review, March 2025
The City of Las Vegas. The Lakes is inside the city limits even though Spring Valley and Summerlin South around it are unincorporated Clark County. Addresses on both sides read Las Vegas, NV, so the jurisdiction shown on the Clark County Assessor's parcel record is the reliable check. Permits, plan check and inspections for a Lakes home run through the City of Las Vegas building department.
A whole-house repipe typically runs $4,000 to $15,000 in the Las Vegas Valley. That is a market range, not a quote. For a Lakes home replacing polybutylene, the price depends on the home's size, layout and whether it is a single-family home, townhome or condo, and you get a written price before work starts.
Active Plumbing is open 24/7 and technicians arrive in 30 to 60 minutes anywhere in the valley, including The Lakes. Some pockets of the community are gated, so let us know how contractor access works when you call (702) 438-3357.
The Lakes was built from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s, inside the roughly 1978 to 1995 polybutylene years. Look under sinks, behind toilets, at the washer hookups, at the water heater and where pipe rises from the slab. Polybutylene is usually gray, sometimes black, joined with plastic fittings and aluminum or copper crimp rings. It degrades as it reacts with chlorine in treated water, so if you find it, a planned repipe beats waiting for a failure.
Often not. In homes the age of The Lakes, a dripping relief valve is frequently caused by a failed thermal expansion tank, which fails silently, or a pressure regulator that has crept high. Replacing the valve alone is a classic misdiagnosis. Have the expansion tank and incoming pressure checked at the same visit, along with the heater itself, which in this very hard water may already be a second or third unit.
It depends on whose system it is. Near Lake Sahara, a leak or drainage problem can involve the homeowner, the association and the community's common areas. Contact your association or its management company to establish responsibility before work begins, which avoids a dispute later. We can locate the leak and explain what we find so that conversation has facts behind it.
Repeated blockages after clearing usually point to something left on the pipe wall rather than a one-time clog. In a forty-year-old home with very hard water, scale buildup or root intrusion at a joint are the most common causes. A camera inspection after the next clearing will show whether the line has a structural issue, a belly, or buildup that cabling is not removing, and that footage determines whether hydro-jetting or a repair is the right next step.
Association approval and a City of Las Vegas building permit are separate questions. Interior drain work and work on your own lateral generally do not require architectural approval, but any excavation that affects common-area landscaping or irrigation near the lake frontage can involve the association. Confirming with the association or its management company before work begins establishes whose system is affected and avoids a dispute after the trench is open.
Sewer line repair typically runs $1,500 to $5,000 in the Las Vegas Valley, and full sewer line replacement typically runs $4,000 to $12,000. Those are typical valley ranges, not a quote. Caliche hardpan makes trenching slower and harder to bed a pipe into evenly, which can increase the labor portion of an exterior repair. The actual price depends on depth, length, access and method, and you receive a written price before work starts.
Also serving
OUR SERVICE AREA
Proudly Serving All of Las Vegas Valley
Address:3580 Polaris Ave #17, Las Vegas, Nevada 89103Phone:(702) 438-3357Hours:Open 24/7Email:service@activeplumbinginc.comActive Plumbing is Las Vegas-based and open 24/7 for residential and commercial plumbing across Las Vegas Valley. We handle Emergency Plumbing, Drain & Sewer Services, Water Heater Services, Water Treatment, Gas Line Services, Pipe & Fixture Services and Sewage & Waste Services, with warranties on parts and labor.
Our licensed technicians serve Enterprise, Henderson, Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, Paradise, Spring Valley, Summerlin, Sunrise Manor, Whitney, Winchester, and the surrounding neighborhoods.
Let's Start a Conversation
Book Your Service Call Now
Contact us:
3580 Polaris Ave #17, Las Vegas, Nevada 89103
Hours: Open 24/7
