Good Neighbor Sewer Maintenance

Though you’d never see those 4 words together?   Consider this:  For the second time in the 11 years that I have lived in my home, my sewer has backed up.  The line to the street is clean, so why did this happen?

Our street has tree roots in the main.  The city has us on an ”enhanced” schedule for cleaning the sewer line, but when the roots combine with the many solids coming through the line, with the additional pressure of water coming from cycles at the near by water tower, trouble can ensue. 

The technician whose unpleasant job was to both clear the clog and explain them mess gave us this primer:  People put things down their drains that the sewer is not designed to handle, especially under these circumstances.  Grease, dental floss, even rags.  What’s more, many products billed as “flushable” really aren’t.  They are essentially “not unsafe for a septic system”, which does not translate to appropriate to put in a city sewer.

So, we cleaned up, again.  We are extra vigilant and having a back flow preventer installed on the waste line.  But we are also more cautious about what is allowed in the line.  And we are hoping that our neighbors are, too.