Drain Cleaning & Sewer Service in Cheney, WA
Home to Eastern Washington University since 1882, Cheney combines a genuinely historic downtown core with a steady rotation of student rental housing. Both mean drains that need real attention, just for different reasons.
The Town That Got Renamed for a $10,000 Donation
Cheney started out as Depot Springs, surveyed in 1880 along the newly built Northern Pacific Railroad line. Town officials renamed it for Benjamin Pierce Cheney, a railroad board member, in hopes of securing his support, and the bet paid off. Cheney donated $10,000 to establish the Benjamin P. Cheney Academy in 1882, on an eight-acre site that later became the core of Eastern Washington University. The academy became the State Normal School at Cheney in 1889, the same year Washington achieved statehood, opening its doors in 1890 with just 16 students. The school changed names several more times over the following century before becoming Eastern Washington University in 1977, and the oldest part of the campus was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.
Cheney sits about 17 miles southwest of Spokane, and the university’s presence still defines the town today. That means Cheney has two overlapping housing stories: a genuinely historic downtown core dating back to the town’s earliest decades, and a large, steady supply of rental housing serving the university’s student population.
Why Cheney’s Pipes Are Different
Cheney’s older downtown core, dating to the town’s founding era in the 1880s through early 1900s, follows a familiar pattern: original clay tile or cast iron sewer laterals well past their expected service life, with the usual root intrusion issues that come with aging pipe and established trees. But Cheney’s substantial student rental housing adds a second, different kind of pressure entirely. High-turnover rental properties tend to see more frequent clogs from a wider range of causes, inconsistent upkeep between tenants, items going down drains that shouldn’t, and generally higher day-to-day usage than an owner-occupied home. It’s less about pipe age and more about volume and habits.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why was Cheney originally called something else?
The town was first surveyed as Depot Springs in 1880, then renamed for railroad executive Benjamin Pierce Cheney after officials hoped to win his financial support. It worked. His $10,000 donation founded the academy that eventually became Eastern Washington University.
Does Cheney’s college-town status actually affect plumbing issues?
Yes, in a specific way. Student rental housing near campus tends to see more frequent clogs driven by usage patterns and inconsistent upkeep between tenants, separate from the pipe-age issues found in the town’s older downtown core.
Do you offer same-day service in Cheney?
Yes, same-day appointments are typically available for active clogs and backups in Cheney.