Posted: Today 4:03:02 AM EDT
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Probably too late for an answer, but no one is doing service calls at this hour. Old city house with clay lateral pipes. We just had our plumber snake out the roots about a week or two ago. Light rain today and we’re getting sewage backing up into the basement. It’s not our sewage because we stopped using the water, yet I’ve been dumping a whole wet vac full of poop and poop water (sorry, poop thread) every 5 minutes or so. Called the emergency line for the water company, they show up, I thank them. They do absolutely nothing and claim their lines are clear and blame the problem on roots in the lateral. I tell them the plumber just snaked the line, they blame it on the plumber. I ask how come other people’s sewage is backing up into my house if it’s not a bigger problem? No answer, they tell me to call my plumber. Harsh words are exchanged, because I’ve been dumping shit water for the last three hours and they leave. What I don’t understand is if my lateral lines are fucked, wouldn’t that just back up my sewage? Why am I getting all my neighbors’ sewage? |
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Originally Posted By HKocher: Probably too late for an answer, but no one is doing service calls at this hour. Old city house with clay lateral pipes. We just had our plumber snake out the roots about a week or two ago. Light rain today and we’re getting sewage backing up into the basement. It’s not our sewage because we stopped using the water, yet I’ve been dumping a whole wet vac full of poop and poop water (sorry, poop thread) every 5 minutes or so. Called the emergency line for the water company, they show up, I thank them. They do absolutely nothing and claim their lines are clear and blame the problem on roots in the lateral. I tell them the plumber just snaked the line, they blame it on the plumber. I ask how come other people’s sewage is backing up into my house if it’s not a bigger problem? No answer, they tell me to call my plumber. Harsh words are exchanged, because I’ve been dumping shit water for the last three hours and they leave. What I don’t understand is if my lateral lines are fucked, wouldn’t that just back up my sewage? Why am I getting all my neighbors’ sewage? Yeah, clay laterals are notorious for having roots grow in them, or even just collapsing. But you're right, there may be a bigger issue if your neighbors' sewage is coming up. you should call the sewer company, not the water company. You should also get a 'rooter' company or plumber with a camera to come run it out your lateral to see exactly what's going on. |
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Originally Posted By Karankawa: I’d try to seal off the pipe with spray foam inside. Also have a valve installed for the future. Sorry, that sounds awful. Depending on the plumbing and how the house is constructed, there may be drains connected to his vertical underneath the foundation, a valve may or may not have to be several feet under the foundation to work entirely. Same for the spray foam idea. |
| Is there a "cleanout" out in your yard somewhere? Typically a PVC vertical, sometimes at ground level and sometimes extends up out of the ground a little ways, with a removable PVC cap on it? If so remove that cap and stand back as it will release out into your yard instead of into your basement. Will be highly frowned upon by the city but it will save you from basement poo water sucking duty |
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Originally Posted By rollin-tumblin: Is there a "cleanout" out in your yard somewhere? Typically a PVC vertical, sometimes at ground level and sometimes extends up out of the ground a little ways, with a removable PVC cap on it? If so remove that cap and stand back as it will release out into your yard instead of into your basement. Will be highly frowned upon by the city but it will save you from basement poo water sucking duty No, something like that in the front yard, but it just has a grate over it. |
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Originally Posted By HKocher: The water company is the sewer company in my city. God I hate this city, I've been trying to move. So is it a private company that owns both the water and sewer lines in your city? Because they have a blockage in the sewer main somewhere if it's backing up into your house. You also need to contact their legal department when this is done with documentation. Make sure you're getting photos and video of everything going on. If that happened in my city, they'd be paying you. I was discussing this with the manager of risk management during an interview about this very thing (I was and still am in public works as a dispatcher). I'd also ask them to install a backflow device on the sewer lateral so this doesn't happen again (or pay for it yourself if they refuse). Sue if necessary. |
Froot Loops are all the same flavor. They just taste like froot. Whatever the heck that is.
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Originally Posted By HKocher: No, something like that in the front yard, but it just has a grate over it. Originally Posted By HKocher: Originally Posted By rollin-tumblin: Is there a "cleanout" out in your yard somewhere? Typically a PVC vertical, sometimes at ground level and sometimes extends up out of the ground a little ways, with a removable PVC cap on it? If so remove that cap and stand back as it will release out into your yard instead of into your basement. Will be highly frowned upon by the city but it will save you from basement poo water sucking duty No, something like that in the front yard, but it just has a grate over it. A French drain? It would be illogical to not have a sewer clean out, although it happens. They're often close to the house, sometimes in a flower bed, so you'd have to look for them and maybe uncover them. You would usually have two, one is used to clean back under the house, the other back to the sewer main. Attached File In my city, they will clean back out from the clean out to the city main. If they check and it's "holding water", they'll work it until it's cleared. They'll check the nearest manholes to make sure they are flowing as well. If the clean out is dry, with no evidence of a backup, they'll advise to get a plumber to check under the house. The sewer lateral is private property until it meets the street, but our guys will clean it out. But if it's crushed completely, they'll want the property owner to get that replaced. |
Froot Loops are all the same flavor. They just taste like froot. Whatever the heck that is.
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Originally Posted By DavidY: So is it a private company that owns both the water and sewer lines in your city? Because they have a blockage in the sewer main somewhere if it's backing up into your house. You also need to contact their legal department when this is done with documentation. Make sure you're getting photos and video of everything going on. If that happened in my city, they'd be paying you. I was discussing this with the manager of risk management during an interview about this very thing (I was and still am in public works as a dispatcher). I'd also ask them to install a backflow device on the sewer lateral so this doesn't happen again (or pay for it yourself if they refuse). Sue if necessary. It sounds like it is on the city main side. If you need to have your lateral replaced, have the contractor install a backwater valve on the mainline to prevent it from happening in the future. Go to Home Depot and buy a test plug/ball and stick it in the floor drain backing up and blow it up. It may force the poo to a higher fixture so be careful doing this. They also make check valve covers for floor drains that won’t allow them to back up. |
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Where is the sewage entering the basement? To stem the tide, no pun intended, you could buy an inflatable test ball and stick it in the drain. Better yet, a baloon plug in the main clean out to the house. That might at the least give you a reprieve from the shop vac. Earlier poster mentioned getting a company out there to run a camera down the line, that will at least get you started in figuring a solution. Local Lowes or Home Depot should have a good selection of test plugs. |
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Originally Posted By rollin-tumblin: Is there a "cleanout" out in your yard somewhere? Typically a PVC vertical, sometimes at ground level and sometimes extends up out of the ground a little ways, with a removable PVC cap on it? If so remove that cap and stand back as it will release out into your yard instead of into your basement. Will be highly frowned upon by the city but it will save you from basement poo water sucking duty And then insert a plumbers plug to keep other people's crap out of your house until it's fixed. ETA - beat by less than an hour, so I'll add this tip as well. Once you figure out how to access your cleanout and determine the diameter of the pipe, get one of these and try to blast it out. Attached File |
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Originally Posted By DavidY: A French drain? It would be illogical to not have a sewer clean out, although it happens. They're often close to the house, sometimes in a flower bed, so you'd have to look for them and maybe uncover them. You would usually have two, one is used to clean back under the house, the other back to the sewer main. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/551633/1000057854_jpg-3830518.JPG In my city, they will clean back out from the clean out to the city main. If they check and it's "holding water", they'll work it until it's cleared. They'll check the nearest manholes to make sure they are flowing as well. If the clean out is dry, with no evidence of a backup, they'll advise to get a plumber to check under the house. The sewer lateral is private property until it meets the street, but our guys will clean it out. But if it's crushed completely, they'll want the property owner to get that replaced. If OP has clay sewer pipes, he sure as shit doesn't have a clean out like that due to the age of the house. |
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| Be careful of blocking the pipe as it could cause pressure to build up break your drain lines or even buckle your floor. If this is coming in from a floor drain, put a tall piece of pipe or hose in it with the thought that the backflow will only rise to a certain level. |
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Originally Posted By HKocher: Probably too late for an answer, but no one is doing service calls at this hour. Old city house with clay lateral pipes. We just had our plumber snake out the roots about a week or two ago. Light rain today and we’re getting sewage backing up into the basement. It’s not our sewage because we stopped using the water, yet I’ve been dumping a whole wet vac full of poop and poop water (sorry, poop thread) every 5 minutes or so. Called the emergency line for the water company, they show up, I thank them. They do absolutely nothing and claim their lines are clear and blame the problem on roots in the lateral. I tell them the plumber just snaked the line, they blame it on the plumber. I ask how come other people’s sewage is backing up into my house if it’s not a bigger problem? No answer, they tell me to call my plumber. Harsh words are exchanged, because I’ve been dumping shit water for the last three hours and they leave. What I don’t understand is if my lateral lines are fucked, wouldn’t that just back up my sewage? Why am I getting all my neighbors’ sewage? Without knowing layout and elevations of your house, the street, manholes, etc it is nearly impossible to know what is happening. All you are going to get is guesses. My guess is your clay pipe is fucked, and it has exacerbated another fucked situation down the line. Now you are double fucked until you get your end fixed, which will then fuck the next person down. Your pipes are collapsed and likely even open in spots, the ground has most likely shifted and you have bellies and/or backfall. The groundwater from the rain is entering your pipes or, could be the city's system as well, and due to whatever restrictions are downhill from you, the groundwater's path of least resistance is into your house. And it is carrying all of the sewage with it. |
"I said,'I don't know how to vomit softly.' That's like telling someone to shit perfume."
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Originally Posted By M82Assault: If OP has clay sewer pipes, he sure as shit doesn't have a clean out like that due to the age of the house. Originally Posted By M82Assault: Originally Posted By DavidY: A French drain? It would be illogical to not have a sewer clean out, although it happens. They're often close to the house, sometimes in a flower bed, so you'd have to look for them and maybe uncover them. You would usually have two, one is used to clean back under the house, the other back to the sewer main. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/551633/1000057854_jpg-3830518.JPG In my city, they will clean back out from the clean out to the city main. If they check and it's "holding water", they'll work it until it's cleared. They'll check the nearest manholes to make sure they are flowing as well. If the clean out is dry, with no evidence of a backup, they'll advise to get a plumber to check under the house. The sewer lateral is private property until it meets the street, but our guys will clean it out. But if it's crushed completely, they'll want the property owner to get that replaced. If OP has clay sewer pipes, he sure as shit doesn't have a clean out like that due to the age of the house. Not necessarily. Lots of older houses in my city have clay, but still have cleanouts. |
Froot Loops are all the same flavor. They just taste like froot. Whatever the heck that is.
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The biggest problem I see is if this is a private water and sewer company, they're going to drag their feet and not want to do anything because they're cheap fuckers. My city bought out a smaller private water company that bordered an area we annexed and the amount of calls we got from people who were appreciative that we actually answered the phone 24/7, and we actually sent people out the same week is quite amazing. Privatization of government services can sometimes work. Something as vital as water and sewer distribution at the street level is not something I would choose. |
Froot Loops are all the same flavor. They just taste like froot. Whatever the heck that is.
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Sewage backup is serious issue, it means the lift station has a problem. However that would be affecting everybody not just you. If you ground water is that high, and you have a broken sewer you could be getting ground water flowing back though the lateral and "cleaning out' the pipe. So it's not coming form anyone else, just the ground. Call a plumber and have them run a camera down the pipe. If the pipe is intact and you indeed had backflow form citify sewer that is 100% a city problem. If you have a broken server pipe that's on you... get out your checkbook. |
How do you do?
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Originally Posted By HKocher: Plumber is here now. Luckily the shit storm stopped around 3am last night when the rain stopped and did not start back up in the morning. Rain was pretty light, so not sure how why it backed up so bad. If the city has storm drainage pipes, culverts, etc they may be cross connected with the sewer or broken in places also. It's all a guess without seeing it. |
"I said,'I don't know how to vomit softly.' That's like telling someone to shit perfume."
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Former drain cleaner here. Couple things: Did your plumber televise the line to see its condition after he got it open? Going to be tough to see anything now that it's under water. You can go in the street and pull the manhole covers and verify that the city's main isn't clogged. I have seen old clay mains tied together with other houses before going into the city's sewer. So that's definitely possible. Im guessing that's the case along with the plumber not getting all the roots out with possible flushing of tampons or "flushable" wipes. If he didnt televise the line he definitely didnt get all the roots cleared out. |
| Hey OP! Where do you live? I had my frustrations with sewer back ups here in South Bend, IN. And unfortunately, a common occurrence when you have combined sewer systems. It also doesn’t help when you have a lying piece of shit known as Pete Buttigieg running the city. |
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Originally Posted By HKocher: Plumber is here now. Luckily the shit storm stopped around 3am last night when the rain stopped and did not start back up in the morning. Rain was pretty light, so not sure how why it backed up so bad. Your line backed up because the main line is full of storm water. There is no distinction between storm drains and sewage lines in old St. Louis. |
Keep your powder dry, and watch your back trail.