Sewer Backup Emergencies

Sewage rising through a basement floor drain, toilet or tub in Elizabeth, NJ can soak floors, ruin stored belongings and spread germs. Stop flushing, running taps and doing laundry, keep children and pets out of the area, and call to reach a plumber who can clear the main sewer line.

Signs the main sewer line is backing up
Water rising in the lowest drain when a toilet flushes, several fixtures slowing at once, gurgling, a sewer smell, or a backup that starts during a downpour all point to the main line rather than one clogged fixture.

What a plumber typically does
A plumber can open the cleanout to relieve the backup, clear the line with a cable or water jetter, and run a camera to see the cause. Because most Elizabeth sewers carry stormwater and sewage in one pipe, ask whether a backwater valve suits the building.

Call about a sewer backup and say which drains are overflowing, when it began, whether it was raining, and who manages the building if you rent.