Sewage backups pose a serious health hazard and can also result in major damage to a home. Backups always occur at whichever drains in the home are at the lowest elevation. That means any showers and floor drains in the basement or on the ground floor if the house doesn’t have a basement. While backups most commonly occur as a result of sewer line clogs, they can also occur due to heavy rainfall from a major summer storm. In this article, we’ll explain how this can happen, how you can prevent it and what other steps you should take to help prevent your sewer from backing up.
How Heavy Rains Can Cause Sewage Backups
When heavy rains cause streets to become somewhat flooded, some of the standing or running water can leak through manholes into municipal sewer lines. The excess water can then quickly overwhelm the sewer system. If the sewer line underneath a street gets too full, water can start flowing backward up through the sewer lines in people’s homes. Heavy rains can also overwhelm a septic system and cause the same issue.
This issue is known as backflow, and it can result in some or all of the houses along the street getting flooded with several inches or more of raw sewage. Sewage backups and flooding due to backflow are especially common in low-lying areas or in places where the storm drains flow directly into the sewer system.
Summer storms can also result in your sewer system backing up due to tree roots getting inside your sewer line. Roots can grow extremely fast during the summer, and this is especially the case with certain species that have much more extensive and invasive root systems. As the roots extend out in search of food and water, they can sometimes exert so much force that they punch a hole in the sewer line. Tiny roots can also get in through any gaps in the pipe fittings that connect the different sections of the line. Once inside, the roots then feed on the water and waste that flows through the line and can quickly start taking it over to the point that it no longer drains properly and frequently backs up.
What to Do If Your Sewer Backs Up
If your sewer backs up due to heavy rainfall and causes extensive flooding, the best and safest option is to call a company that specializes in sewage cleanup. Sewage can potentially contain a wide range of harmful pathogens, such as Salmonella, norovirus, hepatitis A, Giardia and various other bacteria, viruses and parasites. You don’t even necessarily have to come into direct contact with sewage for pathogens to enter your body and make you sick, as they can also be present in aerosolized sewage particles that get stirred up when trying to clean the sewage.
If you’re dealing with only a minor backup as a result of your sewer line clogging, you can try to clean it up yourself by using a wet/dry shop vac. However, you need to take proper precautions by wearing rubber boots, gloves, long sleeves and a surgical face mask. You also need to be careful and try not to track sewage through the house or make sure to fully sanitize your floors once you’re done.
When dealing with a clogged sewer line, it’s also essential that you don’t flush the toilet or otherwise use your plumbing. If you do, you’ll just end up with more wastewater and sewage coming back up out of the drains.
If your sewer backs up due to a storm, the issue will stop as soon as it quits raining and the water subsides. If you experience a backup when it hasn’t been raining, you need to call a plumber or sewer service and have them clear your sewer line. It’s also a good idea to have them perform a video inspection to check your sewer line for issues like damage and tree root intrusion.
How to Prevent Your Sewer From Backing Up During a Storm
If your sewer line frequently backs up during summer storms, the only option to prevent this from happening is to have a plumber install a backflow prevention valve on your sewer line. Also known as a backwater valve, this is a simple device that basically acts as a gate that will block sewage from flowing back up the line and into the building. Inside the valve is a flap that is normally either open or closed. The closed type of valve opens any time you use your plumbing to allow the wastewater to drain out. The open type of valve will close if sewage flows back up the line due to the force of the sewage pushing it up.
Installing a backflow valve isn’t necessarily cheap, but it’s worth it if you experience frequent backups since it will prevent damage and ensure you never have to deal with the mess and hassle of a major backup. To install the valve, the plumber first has to dig a hole in the yard to access the sewer line. They’ll then cut out a small section of pipe and attach the valve on each end.
Other Tips for Preventing Sewer Backups
While a backflow prevention valve is the only option for preventing backups due to storms, you can easily prevent backups due to sewer line clogs just by taking some basic precautions. One thing you should never do is pour oil or grease down the kitchen sink, as these substances tend to cling to the inside of pipes and continually build up over time. Toilet paper, food scraps and other solids can then get trapped in this sticky coating and eventually create a major blockage that’s commonly referred to as a fatberg.
Another thing that can help prevent sewer line clogs is making sure to never wash or rinse your dishes without a sink strainer in place. If you have a garbage disposal, you also need to make sure not to overuse it and to always leave the water running for at least 30 seconds after shutting the disposal off so that everything gets flushed away. If you shut the water off too soon, the water can potentially outpace the food scraps and cause them to get left behind in the drain pipe or sewer line.
The other thing you need to do is avoid flushing any solid items other than toilet paper and waste. Some of the biggest culprits in terms of sewer clogs and backups include feminine hygiene products and wet wipes. While many wipes say on the packaging that they’re flushable, all this really means is that they shouldn’t clog the toilet if you don’t use too many of them. The problem is that the wipes stay fully intact and often don’t get flushed all the way out of the sewer line. They then create an obstruction that blocks other things from draining and eventually leads to a major blockage that causes the sewer line to back up.
Get Reliable Help From the Pros
Reed's Plumbing & Excavating is a locally-owned and -operated company that’s been providing professional plumbing, sewer and septic services to Springfield home and business owners for more than 50 years. We’re available 24/7 to help if your sewer line is backing up or you’re dealing with any other plumbing emergencies. From hydro jetting and unclogging your sewer line to pumping out your septic tank, you can count on us for all of your needs. For rapid response and reliable service, contact Reed's Plumbing & Excavating.
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