Water backing up through a floor drain is one of the worst ways to find out how your house connects to the city. The water is not clean, it often keeps coming as long as anyone in the house uses a sink or a toilet, and the first question is always the same: is this my problem or the city’s?
In Akron, the city has published a clear answer, and it splits the pipe in two. Here is where the line falls, who to call first, and what to do about the basement while that question gets sorted out.
Call 311 first
The City of Akron’s Sewer Maintenance Division asks residents to notify it at 311 if a basement floods or sewer odors are detected. The division will dispatch a crew to check the main line sewer for a blockage (City of Akron, Sewer Maintenance Division).
That call does two useful things at once. If the blockage is in the city’s main, it gets the city working on the actual cause. If the main is clear, you learn that the problem is most likely in your own line, which tells you who to call next.
While you wait, stop running water in the house. Every sink, shower, toilet and washing machine drains through the same line to the street, and if that line is blocked, the water you send down comes back up at the lowest opening, which is usually the basement floor drain.
Where Akron draws the line
The pipe that carries wastewater from your house to the sewer main is called the lateral. Akron divides responsibility for it in two ways.
Keeping it clear
According to the city, all owners are responsible for keeping laterals clear of obstructions from the structure to the sewer main line. The city lists typical obstructions: roots, grease, paper towels, toys, rags, diapers, baby wipes and sanitary napkins.
Structural repairs
For broken or collapsed pipe, the split is different. Akron says homeowners are responsible for sewer lateral structural repairs from the home to the right-of-way or easement line, which it calls the “private” side. The city is responsible for structural repairs from the right-of-way or easement line to the sewer main, the “public” side.
Put together: a clog anywhere in your lateral is yours to clear, even the stretch under the street. A structural break is yours if it is on your side of the right-of-way line and the city’s if it is beyond it.
Finding out which side the problem is on
If the city’s crew finds the main line clear, the next step is usually a plumber or drain cleaning company to clear the lateral and, if the problem keeps returning, to inspect the line with a camera. A camera inspection is what shows whether you are dealing with a clog, roots through a joint, or a break, and roughly where it is.
Questions to ask the company you call:
- Where did you find the blockage, and how far from the house?
- Was it an obstruction, or is the pipe damaged?
- Can I have the camera footage, or at least screenshots with distances marked?
- If the damage looks like it is past the right-of-way line, what do I need to give the city?
Keep the footage and the invoice. If the issue turns out to be on the public side, that record is what you will be describing to the city.
The basement itself
Sewage is not the same cleanup as a burst supply line. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says that if water damage was caused by sewage or other contaminated water, you should call in a professional who has experience cleaning and fixing buildings damaged by contaminated water (EPA, A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home). EPA also advises drying water-damaged areas within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold growth, and not running a heating or cooling system you know or suspect is contaminated with mold.
Practical points for the first day:
- Keep children and pets out of the area, and avoid walking through the water.
- Photograph the water level, the floor drain and anything stored on the floor before cleanup begins.
- Do not use the basement fixtures until the line has been cleared.
- Ask any cleanup company how it handles porous materials, such as carpet and drywall, that sewage has reached.
Our page on sewage backup cleanup goes through what a professional cleanup involves, and our page on basement flooding cleanup covers basements that took on water from other sources.
Questions homeowners ask
Who do I call for a sewer backup in Akron?
Start with 311. The City of Akron’s Sewer Maintenance Division asks residents to report basement flooding or sewer odors there, and it sends a crew to check the main line for a blockage.
Is the City of Akron responsible for my sewer lateral?
Partly. Owners are responsible for keeping the whole lateral clear of obstructions, from the house to the main. For structural repairs, the homeowner covers the private side from the home to the right-of-way or easement line, and the city covers the public side from that line to the main.
Can I clean up a sewage backup myself?
EPA recommends calling in a professional experienced with buildings damaged by sewage or other contaminated water. A small backup may look manageable, but the materials it touched are the reason for that advice.
What usually blocks a sewer lateral?
The City of Akron lists roots, grease, paper towels, toys, rags, diapers, baby wipes and sanitary napkins as typical obstructions.
For homeowners elsewhere in Summit County, our Akron water damage restoration page describes how matching works in the area.
Checking what is available in your area
waterdamagefirstresponse.com is a connection service. We do not perform restoration or plumbing work and we do not employ technicians. If you are dealing with interior water damage or a sewage backup in an Ohio home and want to be matched with participating providers, you can use the request options on this site. Availability varies by area, and you decide whether to move forward with anyone you speak to.