wanting to get rid of cleanout

Hello everyone, this is my first post in the forum. I have a problem with a cleanout on my sewer drain. The cleanout would not bother me if it was in the back yard somewhere, but this thing is about 4 feet from my front door and right in the way. Its ugly and I have to mow around it. Everyone always asks what it is. When I first moved in it was covered up by a rosebush. There is another cleanout about 3 foot up the line towards the house that is not exposed like this one. Its flush with the ground. If I ever needed a cleanout, I could use that one. The only thing I can think of is maybe the yard YEARS ago was level to this thing and over the years has washed out. Anyways Im trying to figure out what to do with it. I Have an expansion plug in it now, when I first moved in it was open . It would fill up with leaves etc. I know the right thing to do to get rid of it would be to dig down to the main line and replace the cleanout with a coupling and bury back over it. I was wondering if there was any other way around this. I was thinking of making an iron cap for it and maybe drilling and tapping the pipe for some set screws. I guess the other alternative would be too cut the bell end off and try to have someone in town come out with a threading machine and thread it so I could screw a cap on it and bury over it. I am not a plumber so I dont know if thats even a possibility. Being as the pipe has the bell, it may not be a standard size so you couldnt thread it. Im just open to suggestions other than having to remove the actual cleanout from the main line. If I could dig down and just cap it off in a good, decent manner I would do that. Thanks a lot for any suggestions.. Here is a pic of it.

Are you sure it even hooks to the sewer line? It could be from an old septic system.

Whether it needs to be there depends on how each of them are connected to the main line

In any case, the pipe can be cut off shorter and a new cleanout can be installed where it will be flush with the surrounding grade. For a DIY, it would be most easily accomplished using a fernco style rubber coupler.

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I cannot tell whether that one is needed or not, but anytime there are two close together, it usually implies that they are "two way" cleanouts, which means EACH is needed for a specific type of stoppage. IF it is a functioning cleanout, it should NOT be open like that, but should have a removable cover on it.

yes it is tied to the main line. I had to snake it out when I moved in because like I said someone left it wide open and it clogged up. I know it serves a purpose, Im not really wanting to remove it just shorten the pipe. Im pretty sure the after the first cleanout the pipe 90s down to make up for the slope in the yard. This cleanout is at the beginning of the rest of the run that goes to the city tie in. I thought about a fernco but Im not wanting to bury a fernco coupling. I dont know but Im guessing those are not rated for burial. I thought about digging it down and welding something that could have a cap placed on it. Im pretty sure the pipe is iron and not cast iron. I will have to go look for sure. I was just trying to get a feel for what would be an acceptable solution. Thanks for your replies guys.
matt

The pipe IS cast iron and you will NOT be able to weld to it. A No-Hub coupling and a "cleanout ferrule" with a brass plug, after the pipe is "snapped off' will do what you want to. A plumber could do the whole job in a matter of 15 minutes or so, although you would still have to pay the full minimum charge, usually one hour's labor plus parts.

A no hub coupling (fernco is one brand) IS for burial. Thousands of miles of pipe have been installed using these couplings.

thats good to know about the fernco. I was just worried about it being underground and the boot breaking down over time etc. I just didnt want to compromise it in any way. Ive used them before above ground I just wasnt sure about burying them. I will go ahead with that plan. I had to repair a rusted pipe under my house and thought about renting a snap cutter but just had to make a few cuts so I didnt. I still have a few of the cutting wheels I used in lieu of the snap cutter so I will dig it out and cut it off. Thanks a bunch for your help. I just didnt want to do some crappy job of it as I try to do things halfway decent.
thanks again everyone

The problem with a Fernco bushing on a cleanout is that WHEN the plug corrodes in place and needs "force" to unscrew it, the Fernco will NOT provide the necessary resistance.