Do I need a plumber or a concrete guy?

[Chubba]

I live in a row of townhouses. We have a PVC pipe that emerges vertically from the front yard that I assume is a clean out pipe. It is located about 1 foot into my yard from the sidewalk and about 3" from the first slab on my concrete walkway.

We've had two terrible winters and a lot of rain this year and there is now erosion around my walkway. About 2-3" of the pipe is now exposed (where none was before) and the first slab of my walkway is now tilted towards the side where the pipe is. I'm on a slope so the tilt is downhill.

I'm having no plumbing issues at all that I'm aware of. Everything is filling, flushing, and draining appropriately and there are no foul odors. My water bills are low so I don't believe I have a leak.

Is this merely erosion/settling or could this indicate a sewer line issue?

 

[Caduceus]

That's a real tough one for us to answer from where we are, Chubba. Seems that you will need somebody on site to begin the process of discovery. A good start may be to check for surface water from downspouts, hillsides and adjacent properties during rain storms. If this is a new issue and you have lived on the property for years, a camera inspection of your sewer may show if a leak is present and causing wash-out of the soil. Camera inspection will set you back some cash, so shop around if you go in that direction.
If your water meter is in your yard before a suspected leak, you may show a leak on your meter. But, if your meter is in your home and the leak is before the meter you will not show it on your bill.