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Message |
    
themp
Citizen
Username: Themp
Post Number: 327
Registered: 12-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, December 11, 2003 - 11:46 am: |     |
Water in my basement! I think it is coming in through the sewer line. I am at the top of a hill, and don't get rain water generally. Is anyone else experiencing flooding? Has anyone heard that the sewers are flooded?
Damned basement toilet. |
1-2many
Citizen
Username: Wbg69
Post Number: 705
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, December 11, 2003 - 12:07 pm: | |
a realtor here told me it was (once?) a MW code requirement to have a working toilet in the basement. which explained to me why, when looking for houses, we saw several which would just have a toilet sitting in some random spot in the basement.
anyway, the take home message is that's supposed to be a good thing. but sorry, I have no ability to actually help you here on the "why"s or "what to do"s. good luck. |
bobk
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 4038
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, December 11, 2003 - 12:20 pm: | |
If the water is a backed up waste drain it should be pretty disgusting to look at and smell.
More likely is that with the melting snow and heavy rain the ground next to the foundation has become saturated down to the base of your foundation and moisture is coming in between the foundation and cellar floor.
Have fun with the Shop Vac! |
bobk
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 4039
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, December 11, 2003 - 12:28 pm: | |
I forgot to mention that a few days ago another poster had this problem, but clearly the inflow was sanitary waste and called the Department of Public Works, who cleared the blockage.
I still think seepage is the most likely cause, but better safe than sorry. |
marken
Citizen
Username: Marken
Post Number: 81
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, December 11, 2003 - 10:21 pm: | |
We too have basement water and (probably) a backed up sewer line --- water spits & seeps from the sealed opening in the floor where the toilet used to be. The water doesn't smell -- yet, so hopefully it's just storm water. I hope it's cleared up by morning -- since we can't flush or shower. I just hope it doesn't back up into our sink or standpipe for the washer.
We're at the bottom of hill and our sump pump discharges every 2-3 minutes .... oh, and we also have water dripping into our ash pit. Sure the snow was pretty, but now a wet basement (just puddles so far) is the price we pay for snowy, suburban, beauty.
FYI -- A bit of humor: I called public works (who is closed at 8 pm) and their message directed me to the police department. Ok, so I called them and told them my problem. They offered to send the fire department. WAIT .... doesn't the fire department usually BRING water? If there was a lot of water, the FD could pump it out. Nice to know that's an option, hope I never use it. |
emmie
Citizen
Username: Emmie
Post Number: 192
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Friday, December 12, 2003 - 12:38 pm: | |
I had major water in my basement yesterday A.M. at around 8:00. It was coming up through my basement sinks that were water filled and overflowing, and literally sounded and looked like a waterfall! Called DPW (in a total panic) who was there in five minutes checking the storm drains and the street sewerline which they found was backed up. Duh! Right, backed up into my basement! I live at the bottom of a hill also, and all this time the sump pump was dealing with the water coming in from the ground. All and all it took about an hour to get cleaned up and thankfully from the looks of the sewer water it was storm water. When I ran down the street, in the pouring rain, to greet the DPW I met a bunch of my neighbors with the same problem. We were actually shoveling the water out of my basement. What fun! |
tourne
Citizen
Username: Tourne
Post Number: 255
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Friday, December 12, 2003 - 10:47 pm: | |
Emmie,
Unless your sinks are hooked up to a storm sewer(they shouldn't be) the water in them was coming from the sanitary(sewage) sewer. The sanitary sewer may have been partially filled with storm water, but definitely not clean water. I would still disinfect as best as possible with dilute bleach and water as per the directions on the bottle.Has this ever happened before? |
emmie
Citizen
Username: Emmie
Post Number: 196
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, December 13, 2003 - 4:02 pm: | |
Tourne,
Thanks for the advice, I will follow it! I have lived here 28 years and it has happened about 4 times. Once during a really bad thunder storm several years ago and the other times during days like yesterday. My neighbors get it too. Whenever it happens the dpw has to come and do something on Ridgewood Rd. and E. Cedar Lane. They lift the manhole cover and clear the clog or something. Although I know zilch about sewage systems, it seems to me it is something that should be checked on every once in a while. I have a shut off valve that finally stopped the flow yesterday. But it is old and hard to turn. I have actually had raw sewage come up the sinks before but I didn't see or smell any this time. YUK!!! |
jgberkeley
Supporter
Username: Jgberkeley
Post Number: 3373
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, December 13, 2003 - 9:35 pm: | |
Emmie,
The Storm drain system and the Sewer system are not connected in any form. No home has a legal connection to the Storm drain system, and your sink is connected to the Sewer.
The water you received in your sink, came from the Sewer.
Clean!
Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark; professionals built the Titanic. |
bobk
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 4055
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, December 14, 2003 - 4:38 am: | |
Is it possible that a significant number of people have their sump pumps hooked into the sanitary sewer? Since the sewer backups seem to happen during storm runoff I don't think this possibility can be dismissed. It is also possible that debris leaks into the sanitary sewer system during heavy melting events, especially when there are still leaves in the streets.
Otherwise, the really scary scenario is that the sewer system doesn't have the capacity to handle the load. I doubt when it was designed dishwashers and disposals were taken into account.
Are disposals legal here?
When I was a kid in the midwest a number of Chicago subburbs had knadequate sewer capacity and backups were common. A standard fix was to screw a length of piping into the lowest drain in the house so that the backup would occur elsewhere. This only worked for a while, since after a while so many people did this, the waste came in over the pipe. |
lseltzer
Citizen
Username: Lseltzer
Post Number: 1992
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, December 14, 2003 - 7:10 am: | |
>>Are disposals legal here?
I wish they were. When I bought this house some contracter told me they weren't but old ones were grandfathered in. We didn't have one, so I was a good little woosey and didn't get one. I suspect this rule is widely broken across town. |
tourne
Citizen
Username: Tourne
Post Number: 257
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, December 14, 2003 - 7:34 am: | |
I am not up on plumbing codes, but I have never heard that disposals are not allowed.
Yes, many people may have their sump pump hooked to the sanitary sewer. At one time it was recommended because basement water may have been oily or dirty. However, it is no longer recommended and should be directed to either a storm drain or wet well drainage of some sort underground, IF IT IS JUST CLEAN GROUNDWATER OR SEEPAGE.
When roads flood, water pours into the sanitary sewer through the manhole covers. The covers can be made water tight in areas where this occurs regularly.
Blockages in the sewer system may occur in areas which are more prone due to being low spots or where the sewer is poorly engineered and or restaurants(greese producers) etc. are nearby,
Rightly, areas prone to blockage should be checked regularly by the town to prevent backups. |
bobk
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 4057
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, December 14, 2003 - 8:10 am: | |
"Houston, we have a problem....."
|
jgberkeley
Supporter
Username: Jgberkeley
Post Number: 3375
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, December 14, 2003 - 12:36 pm: | |
Maplewood building codes allow for disposals. No problem.
Sump pumps are not allowed to be connected to the sewer drains.
Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark; professionals built the Titanic. |
imacgrandma
Citizen
Username: Imacgrandma
Post Number: 193
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, December 14, 2003 - 4:55 pm: | |
"It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark." |
tourne
Citizen
Username: Tourne
Post Number: 258
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, December 14, 2003 - 4:59 pm: | |
Maybe that should be: Engineers built the Titanic.? |
breal
Citizen
Username: Breal
Post Number: 289
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 30, 2003 - 3:49 pm: | |
You can get a valve to prevent backflow into your basement from the sanitary lines in the street.
Expensive, but worth it if you're at the bottom of the hill.
Also, monitor how often public works comes out with that roto-rooter truck to clean out the sanitary lines on your street. Actually, they seem to have jobbed out this work lately, from the logo on the latest truck. Anyway, call and request frequent clean outs if your house gets backflow.
I know the town inspects houses as they change hands. The inspector should make sure sump pumps are not draining through the sanitary lines.
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