Sewage backing up in your Plymouth home?

Every drain in your home empties into one main sewer line that runs out to the city main. When that line is blocked, wastewater has nowhere to go and rises until it finds the lowest opening. In most Plymouth homes that is the basement floor drain, a basement shower or a lower-level toilet.

That is why a backup often shows up right after a load of laundry or a long shower upstairs. The water you just used is what is coming back up. Until the blockage is cleared, using any water in the house will make it worse.

Tree roots are one of the most frequent causes, especially in older lines with joints that roots can get into. A root mass can build slowly for months and then catch enough paper or wipes to block the line completely.

Other causes include grease buildup, wipes and paper towels, a sagging section that collects debris, a collapsed or broken pipe, and in some cases a problem in the city main rather than your own line. Heavy rain and spring thaw can also overload the system and push water back toward homes.

The first job is getting the line flowing. A plumber will usually access the main through a cleanout, often a capped pipe near the floor drain or along a basement wall, and run a motorized cable to cut through the blockage. If there is no usable cleanout, they may pull a toilet to reach the line.

Once the water drains, many plumbers will recommend a camera inspection. A backup that happens once might be a simple clog, but repeated backups usually mean roots, a sag or damaged pipe that will keep causing trouble until it's repaired.

Sewage carries bacteria and viruses, so cleanup needs care. Wear rubber gloves and boots, ventilate the area and keep anyone with a weak immune system away. Porous items that soaked up sewage, like carpet, padding and cardboard boxes, usually have to be thrown out.

For anything more than a small spill, a water damage restoration company is often the safer choice. Check your homeowners policy as well. Sewer backup coverage is often a separate endorsement, so call your insurer early and keep your photos and receipts.

If your neighbors are having backups at the same time, the problem may be in the city main. In that case, contact the City of Plymouth's public works department. If it is only your house, the blockage is most likely in your own service line, which the homeowner usually owns from the house to the main.

A plumber near you can usually tell where the blockage is by how far the cable travels before it hits something, and a camera inspection can confirm it.