Reasons Why Sewage May Get Backed Up

There’s nothing worse than having a backed-up sewer. However, plumbing and sewage problems are common and can happen without warning. A blockage occurs when sewer lines become obstructed and wastewater can’t flow freely. Sewer backups also cause damage to your house and also put your health in danger since wastewater contains biological and chemical contaminants.

Read on to find out why your sewage may get backed up. Knowing the reasons behind this may help you better prepare and avoid the problem altogether.

Since not every problem is the same, knowing specifics can also help when fixing the problem. Therefore, keeping an eye out for these problems and working on prevention can help you save thousands of dollars in damage to your house and protect your health.

Clogs

The vast majority of sewage backup stems from clogs caused by using drains as garbage cans. These are easily preventable with proper use and regular maintenance. Clogs can result from solid materials like hair, paper towels, face wipes, diapers, and sanitary napkins. Even when items claim to be flushable, avoid flushing them. Instead, use the wastebasket.

The only exception to this rule is toilet paper. However, if the toilet paper does not start to dissolve once it’s in the water, avoid flushing that as well. Clogs can also result from pouring grease and other fats down the drain. These may seem harmless when poured in liquid form, but they tend to solidify in pipes and create blockages.

Garbage disposals also play a significant role in this. Instead of dumping everything down your garbage disposal, use it intelligently. The objects that go down your garbage disposal may be in pieces, but since they’re solid, they can collect in the pipes and cause blockages.

Tree Roots

As tree roots grow and spread, they usually move towards water and fertilization. Because of this, they grow towards sewer lines and pipe joints and can cause extensive damage as they continue to grow. Tree roots can grow into pipes and cause both holes and blockages. They can even intertwine around the sewer line and crush it.

Even if your yard is clear and no trees are present near the sewer line, your sewage line can still be affected by neighbors’ trees or public trees. This, in turn, can cause blockages, and eventually, sewer backups. When roots cause structural damage, the only recourse is to cut them and replace the damaged pipes.

Damaged and Aging Sewer Lines

According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, most sewer lines are over 30 years old. In fact, in some parts of the U.S., sewer pipes can be over 100 years old. As these pipes age, they can face significant structural damage, including sags, cracks, offset joints, holes, and more.

While pipes today are made of PVC and other durable materials, they consisted of cast iron, clay, and cement in the past. Since these aren’t as long-lasting, they tend to break down and crack, especially when combined with insufficient ground support and regular earth movement. Broken, collapsed, and cracked lines can result in sewage system backups, flooded basements, and overflows, especially in older homes.

Sewer Sanitary Main Blockages

Sometimes, you’re not able to find a specific cause for sewage backup. In this case, the city’s sanitary main might have a blockage. Usually, these are detected before they become serious and cause backups. However, sometimes they’re not caught in time, despite signs such as seepage at the floor drains.

Heavy Rainfall

All sewers have a limited capacity and can be overburdened when the area experiences heavy rainfall. Once the sewer can’t handle any more rain, excess water can make its way into your sewer line and cause backups in your home.

This is also the case when combining pipes or redirecting gutters, sump dumps, and downspouts. Many people tend to hook them up to their sanitary sewer lines, despite this not being recommended. Rainwater and snowmelt overwhelm the system and cause sewage backup. Systems that combine stormwater and raw sewage by using the same pipe for both are the ones that suffer from sewage backup the most. Because of this, there may be wastewater in low-lying drains and basements.

Tackle Sewage Backup With 911 Restoration

No matter the cause of your sewage backup, it’s imperative to get this problem fixed as soon as possible. In addition to causing damage to your home, contaminated wastewater can also affect your health and wellbeing. Fortunately, home restoration services like 911 Restoration can help you with sewage backup by providing sewage cleanup services.

If you’re in Flint, Bridgeport, or surrounding areas and are dealing with sewage backup and spills, 911 Restoration Flint can mitigate property damage by arriving within 45 minutes of your call. Our IICRC-certified experts are available 24/7 can deal with everything from sewage cleanup to mold removal and water and fire damage. Contact us here for more information.