A lateral launch camera is a small camera pushed into a building sewer from the main sewer line, instead of from a cleanout at the building. It can be used when a cleanout isn't available or when the whole run from main to building needs to be seen. Reports often follow NASSCO's LACP standard.
Two ways to camera a building sewer
NASSCO, the group behind the industry's coding standards, says lateral inspection is generally done in one of two ways. One is inserting a small-diameter camera, designed for 3-inch to 6-inch pipelines, via a cleanout and pushing it toward the mainline. The other is using a robotic mainline and lateral inspection system that launches a camera from the mainline connection up toward the building connection or cleanout.
The second method is the lateral launch. The Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati, in its inspection standard, describes using robotic technology to push or "launch" the lateral camera into the building sewer from the main sewer line, and notes that many building sewers are 6 inches in diameter and made of various materials.
When each method makes sense
- From a cleanout: the usual approach when the building has an accessible cleanout. See what a sewer cleanout is.
- From the main: can be useful when the cleanout is missing, buried or blocked, or when you want to see the whole run from the main sewer connection to the building. The Cincinnati standard also allows the robotic lateral inspection to be done from the main sewer or an available cleanout or access point.
Either way, the camera can be stopped by debris, roots or another obstacle. The Cincinnati standard tells its contractor to contact the project manager for direction if that happens, which is a reminder that a lateral inspection can end short of the full run. Ask the inspector to state where the camera stopped and why.
What the report should use
Lateral inspections are coded under NASSCO's Lateral Assessment Certification Program. NASSCO says that with PACP as a prerequisite, laterals may also be assessed using LACP, and that lateral assessment data is typically gathered in a standardized format such as LACP so it can be merged with mainline data. For how the coding works, see what PACP coding is.
What to ask
- Which entry point the camera used, and how far it traveled.
- Whether the run reached the main, the building or both.
- Whether the report is coded to LACP and comes with the video. See should I get a copy of the video.
For the full picture of what a camera can find, see what a plumbing camera inspection finds. HQ can advise on the right way in for your building, with free estimates and upfront pricing on any repair.