How to Defend Your Home from Sewage
Did you ever think that you live a few feet away from a “river” carrying a multitude of diseases?
If you live in the city or suburb with a public sewer system, your home is likely within 50-100 feet of such a river. Even though it’s underground and not readily visible, it’s real and only separated from your home or yard by concrete, (or in older systems) iron or clay, all of which are fragile and leaky when pitted against weight, shifting earth, and water.
We are seeing sewage spills and overflows more and more frequently in the news because America’s infrastructure is aging, including its sewer systems. (America’s Half-Trillion-Dollar Sewage Problem) Very nice, expensive neighborhoods can be suddenly turned into a toxic, smelly mess when the sewage system fails, and extreme weather is doing its part as well. If there is unprecedented rainfall and the stormwater drains allow too much water and debris into the system, it can back up, and your finished basement can flood with toxic sewage. What a horror and danger!
Sewage can carry a load of infectious diseases; this page from the Indiana Department of Health lists some recognizable ones such as E. Coli, Hepatitis A, Encephalitis, Salmonellosis, and Typhoid Fever, as well as less common ones. Notably missing is Cholera, probably because sewage spills don’t happen as frequently in the US as less-developed countries. Sewage is definitely a biohazard.
What can we do to keep this dangerous river from coming into our homes? Sewage liquid and sewage gases are the two components that we guard against with separate methods; we’ll look at the gases safeguards first:
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“Traps” in the drain system are liquid seals, “passive” ways to keep sewer gasses from coming into your home. The trap needs to be full of water at all times in order to avoid sewer gases from intruding. Learn the difference between P-traps and S-traps, and make sure that every drain (sinks, clothes and dishwashers, etc.) has a P-trap, not an “S-trap”. S-traps are outlawed for sinks because they do not have vents. Modern toilets, however, can have an S-trap or P-trap depending on the placement of the vents. Which brings us to the next point: the importance of vents.
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Make sure that your home’s venting system is in order. If you don’t know the importance of vents, we urge you to take the time (less than 10 min) to watch this video. Vents make your drains work better AND protect your home from the sewage gases outside. Placing the vents in your new home is an important decision to balance roof integrity and system safety. We explain in this article that an invention called Air Admittance Valve (AAVs) offer convenience but can fail and present a safety hazard, so you’ll need to know about these if your home has them.
As for liquid sewage backups, there are two to three main things you can do:
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Make sure your sewage line is clear. If you have trees near your sewage line, it’s likely that their roots will try to grow into the line to get water. Some trees, like willows, poplars and maples are more water-loving and thus more invasive. (What Can You Plant Over Your Septic Drain Field?) If you’re wondering how tree roots know where the water is, they can sense condensation on pipes underground (produced by cold water running through it), and they can detect water vapor emitted from tiny cracks in the pipe. Roots penetrate these existing cracks, but they don’t break pipes, according to an arborist. (Uncovering the Truth About Tree Roots). Therefore, it’s best not to plant these types of the most invasive trees near your sewer line, to avoid expensive repairs!
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This tip is for those who don’t use a city sewer system. If you are on a private sewage system, get it pumped regularly (at least every 3 years with only 1-2 people in the home). Ask your plumber for a recommendation for this service and when the technician is pumping, ask them if they see any potential problems with the piping, tank or drain field.
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Finally, a valve called a backflow preventer is a good safety system to keep sewage from flowing back from the street into your home. These valves are not universally standard, but many local plumbing codes do require them on new construction. If there are flooding problems in your neighborhood and you are concerned about sewage flooding your existing home, ask your plumber for an estimate on installing one. It could be money well-spent!
Finally, if you see the following signs or suspect a broken sewage drain pipe, call a plumber as soon as possible, because you don’t want to expose people or pets to raw sewage. (7 Signs of a Broken or Collapsed Sewer Line)
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Sewage backup in your lowest drains, like basement floor drains
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Sounds (gurgling) and bad odors in your home. This is because if the crack is near the home, sewer gases can invade the basement or foundation.
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Slow draining sinks and showers: if there’s a clog or break and the water is going into the earth around the pipe, it will tend to back up and not drain quickly.
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“Clogs” in more than one drain: this indicates it’s not the drains inside the home at all–it’s the main drain lines that serves all of them.
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Unusually lush areas in your yard: the saying is true: “the grass is always greener over the septic tank”, but in this case, it’s the septic drain that is fertilizing your lawn. This is not a healthy type of fertilizer for you, though!
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Pooled sewage in your yard: pretty self-explanatory, right?
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Increased pest activity: insects love water and live in drain lines, so if you notice more roaches or other insects invading your home, it could be that your sewage drain line is cracked and in need of repair or replacement.
Sewage backup (liquid or gas) is probably one of the least desirable problems to have with your home, and the real health threat goes way beyond the foul smell, so we hope that these tips help you to avoid it. If you find that your basement has already flooded, we also have an article on that, being sure to take special precautions not to come into direct contact with sewage.
