Sewage coming back up through a tub, shower or floor drain is an emergency, and it will not improve by waiting. Call our 24/7 dispatch line and a plumber can often come the same day, including nights and weekends when the schedule allows. While you wait, stop flushing, skip the washing machine and dishwasher, and keep children and pets out of the wet area.
Sewer line cleaning means clearing the main drain that runs from your house to the public sewer. That pipe is called the lateral or house connection. A cable machine or a hydro jetter removes the blockage, and a camera shows why it formed.
Sewage is coming up: what to do in the first few minutes
Do these while you wait for the plumber
These steps limit damage and keep your household safe.
- Stop using every toilet, sink, tub and appliance that drains.
- Move people and pets away from the wet area, especially a finished basement.
- Wear rubber gloves and boots if you must enter, and wash well afterward.
- Turn off power to a flooded basement only if the breaker panel is dry and you can reach it safely. Otherwise stay out and tell the dispatcher.
- Lift rugs, boxes and cardboard off the floor if you can do it without touching sewage.
- Do not pour bleach or drain chemicals into the backed-up fixtures.
- Take photos of the water line and any damaged items for your insurance claim.
- Call the 24/7 plumber line, then tell MDC if you think the street main is involved.
MDC's sewer emergency page gives the same basics for customers: stop using fixtures, avoid contact, disinfect afterward, and call the Command Center at (860) 278-7850, option 1. That is the number for blockages in the street main.
Who owns which pipe
Knowing where the blockage sits decides who fixes it and who pays. Bloomfield's sewers belong to MDC, but the pipe from your foundation to the street connection does not.
| Pipe | Who maintains it | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Fixture trap and branch drains inside the house | Homeowner | Call a plumber |
| Sewer lateral from house to the main | Homeowner, for the entire length per MDC's ordinance | Call MDC first, then a plumber |
| Public sewer main in the street | MDC | Call the MDC Command Center |
| Street portion that cannot be rodded | MDC fixes it at no charge to the owner | Report it through MDC |
MDC also notes that if the main is clear, the owner hires a licensed plumber or drain cleaner to clear the lateral. For a blockage in the lateral, MDC may issue a form saying so, and it asks that you call before any work or it will not accept liability. Making that call first can protect any reimbursement you may be eligible for.
According to MDC ordinance S3t, the owner carries that duty, and the same ordinance says MDC fixes street-side stoppages it cannot rod at no charge.
Floor drain bubbling or a tub filling with water?
A main line is stopping. Call the 24/7 line before the water reaches finished space, and a plumber will bring a cable machine, a jetter and a camera.
Signs your main sewer line is blocked
- More than one fixture drains slowly or gurgles, often the toilet and the tub together.
- Water or sewage comes up in the lowest drain when you run the washer or flush.
- The toilet bubbles or its water level rises and falls.
- A sewage smell lingers in the basement or near a cleanout.
- The yard above the lateral stays wet or sinks without rain.
One slow sink is almost always a local clog. Multiple fixtures acting up together point to the main. Our drain cleaning page covers single-fixture clogs if that is what you have.
How we clear a main line
Find the cleanout
The cleanout is a capped pipe giving direct access to the lateral, often in a basement floor or near the foundation outside. If none exists, the plumber uses the next-best access point.
Run a cable machine
A heavy-duty cable with a cutting head breaks through roots, wipes and debris. The plumber tracks how far it travels and what it brings back.
Jet or camera if needed
If the cable comes back with grease or roots, a jetter can scour the walls. A camera shows breaks, sags or joint offsets the cable cannot reveal.
Test and report
Water runs through the whole house to confirm full flow. You get a plain account of what blocked the line and what to watch for.
Why laterals clog: roots, wipes and grease
Tree roots follow moisture into small cracks and joints in the lateral and grow into dense mats. Wipes, rags and paper towels do not break down like toilet paper. EPA says only toilet paper should be flushed, and MDC's sewer ordinance bars rags and other items that can cause obstructions.
Grease is the third cause. It cools in the pipe, thickens and traps solids. If a camera shows heavy buildup, hydro jetting often clears it more completely than a cable.
Bloomfield, CT: storms can fill the same pipe
MDC says stormwater enters Bloomfield's sanitary sewers through cracked pipes, laterals, downspouts, sump pumps and yard drains, and that storm backups into basements have occurred. MDC's ordinance bars storm water, groundwater, and roof, foundation and yard drains from sanitary sewers.
So if backups only happen during heavy rain, the cause may be inflow rather than a clog. A plumber can check for a connected sump or downspout, and MDC offers a backwater valve assessment for homes with wet-weather basement flooding. Clearing the pipe will not stop a pipe that is overloaded.
If your home uses a septic system
Bloomfield's proposed town plan says much of Bloomfield is sewered but not every property is, and the West Hartford-Bloomfield Health District reviews septic plans. If your house is on septic, a backup might come from the tank, the baffles or the leach field, not a city main. Ask the Health District or your records which system you have before assuming.
EPA advises against strong chemical drain openers and unnecessary septic additives. Tell the dispatcher you have a septic system so the plumber brings the right approach.
What affects the price of sewer line cleaning
We give a clear price before work starts. The following factors change it.
Ask your insurer about sewer backup coverage. Many homeowners policies cover sudden and accidental damage but not backup unless you added an endorsement, so check before the cleanup bill arrives.
Call and describe what you see and we will explain what a visit would involve.
Preventing the next backup
- Keep wipes, paper towels and feminine products out of the toilet.
- Seal cooled cooking fat in a container for the trash.
- Know where your cleanout is and keep the cap accessible.
- Ask for a camera check if the line has backed up more than once.
- Do not tie sump pumps or downspouts into the sanitary sewer.
Our plumbers also cover Avon and other nearby towns for sewer backups after hours.
Sewer line cleaning questions
Yes. Dispatch is open 24/7. Same-day visits are available when the schedule allows. Stop using water and call right away.
If a plumber clears your lateral and the problem returns or a camera shows the lateral is open, the issue may be in the main. A cleanout check can also show whether wastewater is moving past your connection. Call MDC at (860) 278-7850, option 1, if you suspect the main.
The owner is responsible for the entire lateral under MDC's ordinance, and MDC handles the main. MDC has run a Sewer House Connection Program that may help with rodding or camera work if you follow its steps. Check eligibility with MDC before hiring.
No. Cleaning removes roots from the pipe, but they regrow if they can still enter at a joint or crack. A camera shows the entry point, and a repair may be the lasting answer.
A small hand auger may reach a nearby clog, but a main line often needs a machine and a way to retrieve debris. Sewage exposure is a health risk, so most homeowners are better off calling.
Clearing a clog is on Bloomfield's permit-exempt list when no pipes, valves or fixtures are replaced or rearranged. Repairing or replacing a lateral on private property needs an MDC sewer permit.