Sewage Happens.
Backups Don’t Have To.
Blockages in the sewer system can lead to costly sewage backups in your home.
How costly? The average cost for a sewage backup cleanup is $2,885.
Sewer backup is more common these days due to an aging U.S. sewer system that often combines stormwater and raw sewage.
Sewer Backup Prevention Tips
Here are a few easy tips for preventing costly backups.
Preserve Your Sewer Lateral
Many homeowners are unaware of their responsibility to maintain the pipe between their property and the city’s sewer main. Cracked or collapsed sewer lateral can block flow. Roots from trees or other vegetation can grow into your sewer lateral and block flow.
Roof downspouts or foundation drains can overwhelm your pipe during heavy rains and lead to a backup. Learn more about Homeowner Responsibility by downloading your Guide here:
Dispose of Grease Properly
Don’t pour cooking oil or grease into the drain. Keep our sewers fat free!
When fat, oil, or grease flows down your drain it sticks to the insides of the sewer and can block flow.
After cooking, pour your grease into a can and keep it in the freezer. When the can is full, throw it into the trash.
Only Flush the 3 P’s
“Flushable Wipes” are not truly flushable. No matter what the label says, flush only human waste and toilet paper. Please help support our aging infrastructure and remember to ONLY flush the 3 P’s: Pee, Poo, and (toilet) Paper.
3 Reasons why you shouldn’t flush “flushable” wipes:
1.) They Don’t Break Apart
Unlike toilet paper that usually breaks apart in about 24 hours or so, wet wipes will remain virtually imperishable even when flushed down the bowl. Because they do not break apart, they form a massive buildup that results in the clogging of drain lines and eventually backed up plumbing systems.
2.) The Fatberg Effect
This is a condition wherein the wet wipes combine with the fat, grease, and other dirt trapped in the pipes creating an iceberg-like formation. These can regularly be found in homes and have the potential to result in thousands of dollars worth of damage.
3.) Sewer System Damage
Even if wet wipes make it through your home, they can still get clogged in the sewer system and can create problems when they arrive at the sewage treatment plant. The industrial-grade pumps there can be damaged because of those fibrous wet wipes.