Sewer backup
Don't do this yourself
What to do until the pro arrives
- Stop using water everywhere in the house — every flush and shower is more sewage coming up the lowest drain.
- Keep people and pets out of the affected area; sewage is a health risk, not just a mess.
- Check the cleanout outside or in the basement: if it is full or overflowing, the blockage is in the main line toward the street; if it is empty, the blockage is inside the house.
- Call a plumber now, and if the whole street has a problem or the manhole outside is surcharging, call the municipal sewer authority as well.
- Photograph the damage for insurance before cleanup, then bag soiled soft materials, wet-vacuum standing water, and disinfect hard surfaces.
- Ask the plumber about a backwater valve and a camera inspection: recurring backups usually mean roots, a bellied pipe or a collapsed section.
Stop and call a pro if
- always — clearing a main sewer line is a plumber's job with a machine, and the cleanup of sewage beyond a small area is a remediation job
Rules in the US: Backwater valves are required or subsidised in many cities with combined sewers; check with the utility before the plumber's visit.
Rules in the Netherlands: Bij een verstopping in het hoofdriool buiten de perceelgrens is de gemeente verantwoordelijk — bel eerst het gemeentelijke rioolnummer.
What a pro does that you can't
A plumber clears the main with a cable or hydro-jet, runs a camera to find roots or a broken section, and installs a backwater valve; a remediation crew disinfects and dries a flooded basement.
DIY cost: $0 — contain and call