Due to the aging of the nation’s plumbing infrastructure, sewer backups are on the rise at a rate of almost 3% a year.
What you may not know as a property owner is that you are responsible for maintaining your “sewer lateral”, AKA the pipes that lead from your house to the city’s main sewer line.
Though sometimes unfortunate circumstances lead to sewer backups, there are a couple things you can do to maintain your sewage lines and prevent backups.
How to prevent sewer backups:
#1) Don’t flush ANYTHING but toilet paper
- No grease, paper towels, diapers, or feminine products should make their way down your toilet. Otherwise they can easily cause a clog. Though the majority of clogs are fixable, they are quite costly. Simply make sure there is a wastebasket near your drains so people will be inclined to toss these items in the trash
#2) Install new pipe
- If your pipes are clay/cast iron, reach out to local municipalities to see if you can get them replaced with PVC pipe. Older sewage lines were installed with cast iron and clay material that degrades and cracks easily. PVC pipes are now the standard. If your sewer lateral is made of cast iron or clay pipe, consider installing new pipe to prevent sewer backups.
#3) Remove Trees
- Believe it or not, tree roots are a common culprit to your sewage line breaks. Root systems can grow around sewage pipes and crush them. Or, roots can sneak into cracks in the pipe and cause blockage. If you believe a tree or a neighbor’s tree may have roots that lead to your sewage lines, don’t wait. Call a professional restoration company for an inspection to prevent a sewage backup. They may suggest reaching out to an arborist to cut the tree down.
Conclusion
Though preventative measures can be taken, the fact is that sometimes sewer backups happen. Make sure you have a trusty restoration company for a reliable contact, like NuBilt.
We are available 24/7 to service your sewage cleanup needs. Call us at 303-368-4688
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