House Main Drain Leaking under Concrete

Tom738

Hi all, I'm in a house build circa 1896, and (probably for a few months; I just arrived) water is seeping slowly up out of the concrete in the basement. That room in the basement has a concrete floor, and in the corner there is a 5'x8x'10" concrete slab, and going into that slab are two large cast-iron drainpipes and one small drainpipe. The seepage is on top of the raised slab and near its base, and I think it is caused by one or more leaks inside the raised slab. My guess is the main sewer line for the house turns either in or right under the slab and goes out to the street, perhaps 20" under the water line. I know this is beyond my limits for a DIY project. Is the thing to do to get the pipes above the slab detached by a plumber and then have the slab entirely removed by a concrete cutting company and then to have a plumber re-do all of the plumbing in PVC? Or to have them cut and, if they find the leak, stop cutting once they've removed the concrete sections the leak was in? (And if they don't, cut it all?) Or something else? My concerns are (1) having a reliable sewer line, (2) being sure the concrete cutting company doesn't make more work than needs to be done for a plumber, and (3) keeping costs down. Thank you for any thoughts. Kind Regards, Tom738 PS -- If anyone knows any good plumbers or concrete cutters who work in lower Westchester, I could use a recommendation or two.