Sewage coming up through a basement floor drain is one of the worst things to find in a house, and one of the most urgent. Here's what to do right away, what causes it, how it gets fixed and how to keep it from happening again. For every service, see our main page on Portland plumbing help.
What to do right away
Stop using water
No flushing, showers, laundry or dishes. Every gallon goes to the lowest drain, which is where the backup is.
Keep people and pets away
Sewage carries germs. Don't walk through it, and keep kids and animals out of the area.
Be careful with electricity
Don't step into water near outlets, appliances or the electrical panel.
Call a plumber
The line needs to be cleared before the cleanup can start. See sewer line repair.
What causes basement backups
- A blockage in the main line: grease, wipes or other things that shouldn't go down drains.
- Roots: working into joints in older clay or cast iron lines.
- A damaged line: cracked, collapsed, offset or sagging pipe.
- Heavy storms: stormwater in the sewer system. Portland has asked property owners to disconnect roof drains and sumps from the sewers because storm runoff can overwhelm them.
How it gets fixed
The plumber clears the line through a cleanout or the floor drain, then usually runs a camera to see what caused the blockage. If it's roots or a broken section, the camera shows where, and you can decide on a spot repair, trenchless repair or replacement. If the problem turns out to be in the public sewer, the city handles it, so ask the plumber what the camera shows.
Cleaning up
Wear gloves, boots and eye protection for any cleanup, and throw out porous items that were soaked, such as carpet, padding and cardboard. For anything more than a small area, a professional cleanup company is the safer choice. Check your homeowners policy as well, since some policies only cover sewer backups if that coverage was added.
Preventing the next one
- Keep grease, wipes and paper towels out of drains and toilets.
- If roots were the cause, ask about cleaning schedules or repairing the line.
- Make sure sump pumps and downspouts don't discharge into the sewer.
- Ask a plumber whether a backwater valve makes sense for your basement.
More in drain cleaning and our sump pump checklist.