What do I do if I have a sewer backup?

If a backup occurs in the building, first check to see if it backs up only when you use your facilities such as stool, tub, washer or sinks. If so, it is a possibility that you need a plumber. If you have sewage backing up when you have not used any of the facilities, it is a possibility that it is the City main.

Locate your building sewer line clean out, outside the house. Hint: Most cleanouts are in the line with the three or four inch vent pipe on the roof. (This is the biggest pipe on the roof). Open up the cap. See if there is any water in the clean out. This will tell you if the problem is inside. If a blockage in the private building sewer is the cause of the sewer backup, it is the responsibility of the property owner to clear the blockage. (The private building sewer extends from the interior plumbing of the building to where the pipe connects to the public sewer main, most frequently located at the center of the street or alley.) There are various private firms listed under septic tanks and systems – cleaning, sewer cleaners or sewer contractors, in the Yellow Pages who are equipped to remove the blockage from your private building sewer.

In the event that any of these actions are not successful in removing the blockage from the private building sewer, it is possible that the private building sewer has collapsed. This is true especially if your sewer was installed during the period from around 1950 through around 1970 when bituminous fiber pipe (commonly known “Orangeburg”) was installed in most residential areas. Orangeburg is a paper type pipe impregnated with tar and pressed together. It is susceptible to damage by tree roots and has a tendency to collapse with age. (The City does not have a record of what type of pipe material residences actually have!)

At this point the property owner may require the services of a qualified contractor to repair or replace the private building sewer.

If you feel that it is a blockage in the City main, call the Utility Department at (618) 548-2222 during working hours after hours call (618) 548-2232. Sewer Maintenance personnel will contact you as soon as possible, so be sure to leave your name, address and telephone number. (Emergency Dispatch (618) 548-2232 takes these calls after normal working hours)

The City Sewer Maintenance crews will first check the public sewer main to determine if it is causing your sewer backup. If the public main is operating normally, indications are that your private building sewer is the cause of the sewer backup. The emergency crew will immediately attempt to notify the property owner or the residents of this fact.