How to Deal With (and Prevent) a Backed-Up Sewer

The day after we moved into our home, our neighbor warned us about the sewer line.

"It’s probably going to back up," she said, "so try to flush as little toilet paper as possible. Get a bidet, if you can."

Our first sewer backup happened four months later, in October 2020. We woke up to discover that the drain in our basement was running in reverse, with dark brown water and pale toilet paper clumps slowly pooling on our cement floor—and called the appropriate professionals to clean out the line.

"It’s probably going to back up again," the professionals said, echoing our neighbor’s warning. "You’ve got a lot of old trees on this block, and the roots get into the pipes. You might want to book an annual sewer line cleanout."  

We installed our bidet two weeks later. We did not book the annual sewer line clean out, but that was a systems error more than anything else. I am the Secretary of the Interior (meaning I am ultimately responsible for all in-home cleanup, maintenance, service calls, etc. although I may delegate as necessary) and my partner is the Secretary of the Exterior (responsible for everything that occurs outside the home, including gardening, groceries and the car), and we both believed that the sewer issue fell within the other person’s jurisdiction.

Which meant that when our sewer backed up again in March 2022—nearly a year-and-a-half after the line had last been cleared—we both asked each other why the appointment had not been made.

Now we’ve recommitted to the annual sewer clean out, as well as the bidet in the master bathroom and the less expensive squeeze-bottle solution in the half bath. I’m also committed to sharing the benefits of sewer cleanouts—and bidets—with anyone who might be having similar issues. 

How often should you get your sewer line cleaned out?

"If and when you should get your sewer lines cleaned depends on a lot of things, including the age of your home, the type of pipes you have, the condition of the pipes, and the frequency of previous issues," explains Doyle James, President of Mr. Rooter Plumbing (a Neighborly company). 

Our home was originally built in 1930—and even after its subsequent renovations, the sewer lines are still relatively old. "As homes age, build-up can occur in drain and sewer pipes—especially lines that could accumulate grease and sludge," James told us. "As pipe ages, the interior can become rougher, or the pipe could be more brittle, allowing cracks to form and issues to arise."

If you are in an older home, it might be a good idea to bring in a professional for a sewer line inspection. It might also be a good idea to ask the professionals whether you need to schedule an annual sewer cleaning.

"You won’t always know when an issue is coming unless you have a video inspection of the drain lines performed," says James. "High-pressure jetting of drains and sewers is a way to clear out the accumulation and is a good solution if the piping is in good condition."

How can you prevent sewer backups? 

If you want to prevent—or at least postpone—any potential sewer issues, regular sewer cleanouts are a good option. "While it may be impossible to prevent a sewer backup, having a sewer line high-pressure jetted and video inspected should reveal any issues that could cause an increase in the chance of a stoppage," says James.

It’s also a good idea to avoid flushing anything that could clog up the line. "A good practice is only to flush toilet paper, and only in smaller quantities," says James. "Using a bidet is another good practice, helping to minimize any paper in the sewer line." 

Miki Agrawal, Founder and Chief Creative Officer at Tushy, agrees. "Although traditional toilet paper typically breaks down in water, its use should still be limited," Agrawal explains. "A bidet helps with this tremendously. The equivalent of 15 million trees are flushed down the toilet each year! By using large amounts of toilet paper at a time, you’re contributing to excess paper and water waste, as well as the risk of toilet clogs and fatbergs."

Full disclosure: We have a Tushy bidet, and we love it — although there are plenty of other bidet solutions that could work just as well, including the squeeze bottle in the half bathroom. From our end (pun intended) we feel cleaner, we’re doing our part for our sewer system and we’re saving a lot of money on toilet paper. "Considering the fact that you only need a few sheets of toilet paper to pat dry, bidets can reduce your toilet paper use by up to 80 percent, preventing continuous sewer issues," says Agrawal.

I can’t tell you the last time we bought a 12-pack of toilet paper (that’s the Secretary of the Exterior’s job, and my partner takes care of both the shopping list and the purchases) but I can tell you it wasn’t this year.

When your sewer backs up, what should you do? 

 Even though we’re committed to bidets and regular sewer line maintenance, we know that our sewer may back up again at some point in the future. That’s just how it works, in old houses with old sewer lines (next to old trees with extensive root systems). This means we have a plan in place, just in case we need to use it—and it’s pretty much identical to what the experts advise.

 "When your sewer backs up, avoid using any water that will add more to any drain since the backup could be the main sewer line between the house and the street," James explains. "Don’t assume that the place the water is coming from is the source of the problem. Sometimes a main sewer line stoppage will come up in the lowest drain opening in the house, such as the shower or tub. Call a professional to not only open the line to drop the water but also to perform a video inspection to determine the cause of the issue."

We check our basement drain twice a day, just to be sure that everything that went into our sewer system stayed there.

I also have our local sewer professional’s number programmed into my phone—and I’ve let him know it’s time for our annual sewer line cleanout. 

Illustration by Tiago Galo

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I Flushed Every Toilet and Turned on Every Faucet in New York So You Don’t Have to