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You are responsible for the entire length of your sanitary service lateral from your building to the main line sewer. Its a good idea to take preventative actions to reduce the potential for problems. Sewer backups in a home or business may be caused by a number of factors: 1. A power outage can prevent your sump pump from working. To ensure that your sump pump continues to operate during a power outage, you could consider purchasing a backup power supply system which typically maintain power to a sump pump for an hour or two. 2. Private service laterals can become blocked with tree roots. Roots typically extend unground as far the tree branches extend from the tree trunk. If your service lateral is within this area, it is more likely to have tree roots. Avoid putting large pieces of food and grease in your sinks, diswashers, and garbage disposals. Sink strainers are designed to capture pieces of food that should be thrown in the garbage. Grease can block your lateral. It is best to store grease in something like an empty soup can. Let the grease solidify before throwing it in the garbage. Construction near your service lateral can cause movement of nearby ground and weaken it. If you suspect there's a blockage in your service lateral, a plumber can investigate it for you. Some plumbers have the ability to televise your lateral. 3. Main lines - The District televises the main lines every few years to ensure they are in sound condition. Heavy rainfall (that's supposed to go in storm sewers and creeks) can enter the sanitary sewer from many sources and reduce the available capacity of the main. If you suspect a main line is blocked, please follow the guidelines outlined below in the section titled "Do You Suspect There's a Main Sewer Problem?", and contact the appropriate government agency to investigate the situation. If you live in the City of Wheaton, please contact the City of Wheaton Sewer Department at 630-260-2110. The City of Wheaton is responsible for the sewer mains in your area. These sewer mains transport the wastewater to the Wheaton Sanitary District (a separate agency) where it is treated. If you live in any other portion of the Wheaton Sanitary District (i.e. receive a monthly bill from the Wheaton Sanitary District), please contact the Wheaton Sanitary District at 630-740-6730 at any time. It is helpful if you can provide us with the time that the water was deepest and the estimated depth of water above your floor drain. If you are NOT in the city limits of the City of Wheaton and believe you may be interested in a cost participation program that the District offers, then you should review: Ordinance 423 - Overhead Sewer Financial Assistance You may want to consider a few options: 1. A backflow prevention device 2. Overhead sewers (sanitary sewer sump pump with check valve) 3. A gate valve (manually operated valve) None of these options guarantee the elimination of basement backups. For example, the backflow device can become plugged or stuck partially open. An overhead sewer sump pump won't work if power isn't available. A gate valve requires someone to to close it, and eventually all valves will fail. However, these options can significantly increase your level of protection from a basement backup. Ordinances : Downloads : Plant Tour : Trustees : Staff : Awards Have a Sewer Backup? : WSD E-Pay  |
