What is Sewer Backup?

2/12/2019 (Permalink)

While floods are probably best known for causing extensive water damage to homes and businesses, they can also cause sewage from sanitary sewer lines to back up into houses through drain pipes.  These backups not only cause damage that is difficult and expensive to repair, but also create health hazards.  Most homeowners and business owners may not realize that they are responsible for the maintenance and repair of their house or sewer lateral-the pipeline between the city sanitary sewer main, usually located under the street, and the building.  The sewer lateral is owned and maintained by the property owner including any part that may extend into the street or public right of way.  A cracked or deteriorated lateral or one filled with tree roots can allow groundwater to seep into the system, contributing to the sewer backup problems.  To prevent backups in your lateral and in the city main you need to do several things.  One is to dispose of grease properly.  Do not wash grease down the drain with hot water.  As the grease cools off, it will solidify either in the drain, the property owner's line, or in the main sewer causing the line to constrict and eventually clog.  Another is to dispose of paper products properly. Paper towels, diapers, and feminine products can cause many problems in the property owner's lateral as well as in the city main because they do not deteriorate quickly, as bathroom tissue does.  Next, you may want to replace your line with new plastic pipe.  One way to prevent tree roots from entering your line is to replace your line and tap with new plastic pipe.  If you still have problems with tree roots growing in your lateral, you may have to have roots cut periodically. Shrubs and trees seeking moisture can make their way into sewer line cracks causing extensive damage.  They may start out small, getting into a small crack in the pipe; but as the tree or shrub continues to grow, so does the root.  Tree roots can enter the service pipe at joints and cause blockages.  Sometimes a blockage is the result of a combination of city and private trees.  In this case, costs are split between the city and property owner.