Sewer backup: what to do first, in order
Stop adding water
Every flush and every load of laundry sends more water to a blocked line. Tell everyone in the house to wait.
Look at the lowest drain
Sewage rises at the lowest opening first, usually a basement floor drain or a first-floor tub. Note where it appears and take photos.
Keep people and pets out
Backed-up wastewater carries bacteria. Wear gloves and boots if you must enter, and do not touch electrical gear standing in water.
Call the 24/7 line
Dispatch asks which fixtures are affected and books a same-day visit when a crew is free. We do not promise a set arrival window.
Hold off on cleanup
Do not mop or run a wet vac until the line is open. Your photos support an insurance claim.
Main line cleaning: why the whole house stops at once
The drains in a house join a single pipe that runs to the town sewer or, in some homes, to a septic system. When that pipe narrows with grease, wipes, roots or scale, no fixture upstream can drain. A plumber opens it through the cleanout, a capped fitting often found in the basement or just outside the foundation, with a large cable and then washes the wall with a jetter if the buildup is heavy.
| Cause | Typical sign | How it is cleared |
|---|---|---|
| Grease and soap film | Slow drains across the house that worsen over months | Cable, then hydro jetting to scrub the wall |
| Tree roots at a joint | Repeated backups in the same season | Cutting head, camera, then a plan for the joint |
| Flushed wipes and paper | Sudden total blockage after heavy use | Cable through the cleanout |
| Sagging or broken pipe | Backups return soon after cleaning | Camera, then sewer line repair |
Floor drain backing up?
Call now and tell dispatch which fixtures are affected. A same-day visit is available when a crew is free, day or night.
Is it your line or the town's? How Farmington's system works
The Town of Farmington runs a Water Pollution Control Facility that treats flow from Farmington and Unionville, Avon, Canton and Burlington. The town system covers more than 150 miles of pipe and 17 pumping stations, and Public Works is responsible for the sanitary sewer. If your neighbors have backups too, the town main may be involved and Public Works should hear about it.
Who owns what past the property line
Town Code Chapter 156 requires a permit from the Town Engineer to connect to the sewer and says the installer must hold a Connecticut drainlayer license. It does not state in plain words who owns the private lateral, so ask the Town Engineer before you assume. A plumber can clean the line either way and show you on camera where the trouble sits.
Storm drains and low spots: Meadow Road, Dorset Lane and yards that hold water
Farmington's hazard mitigation plan says Meadow Road floods every year, a culvert on Dorset Lane was upsized from 18 to 42 inches, and a cemetery bank on Garden Street near a 21-inch sewer line floods. Debris clogs inlets and culverts first, and a blocked storm drain sends water toward basements and yard drains. If your property has a catch basin or a yard drain, a plumber can clear and test it.
Keep stormwater and sewage separate. The town code does not allow roof, foundation or stormwater drains to connect to the sanitary sewer, so a sump or downspout line should never be tied into the house sewer. If you suspect one is, ask for a sewer inspection. Homes in low areas may also need a sump pump check before a storm.
Restaurant grease traps and commercial kitchens
Grease traps need a schedule, not a rescue
A grease trap catches fats before they reach the sewer, and it has to be pumped and cleaned on a regular schedule or the fats pass downstream into the main line. A kitchen that backs up after a busy weekend often has a full trap. Our commercial plumbing page covers after-hours drain and trap calls for businesses.
Why Farmington mains clog: roots, age and a long run to the street
Older pipe
ACS data shows 2,910 of Farmington's 11,837 homes date from before 1960, and older pipe is more likely to be rough, sagged or joined with gaps.
Roots
Roots enter at joints looking for water. A camera shows the entry point so the plumber can cut and plan.
Flushed wipes
Wipes sold as flushable do not break down like paper and catch on any rough spot in the line.
Grease habits
Cooking fat poured down the kitchen drain cools and lines the pipe all the way to the main.
What changes the cost of sewer line cleaning
Quotes vary because no two lines are alike. These are the real drivers.