Sewer backup and what to do first
A backup is the most common reason people call us about the sewer line, and it can get worse in minutes. Treat sewage as a health hazard. It carries bacteria that do not belong on floors, carpet or skin.
- Stop running every drain, including the dishwasher and washing machine, and do not flush.
- Keep children and pets out of the wet area and keep your shoes on.
- Do not touch standing water near outlets, extension cords or the furnace. Cut power at the panel only if you can reach it without stepping in water.
- Open a window if the smell is strong, and leave the house if you feel dizzy or sick.
- Take photos of the water and anything it touched before cleanup starts.
- If you smell gas, leave first, then call Nicor Gas on 888-642-6748 or 911.
The Village asks residents with a backup to call Public Works right away so the public sanitary line can be inspected, and to dial 911 after hours. Make that call while we are on the way. If the street main is the cause, nothing we repair on your side will stop the backup.
Finding the break before anyone digs
We start with a camera on a flexible rod, run in through a cleanout or a pulled toilet. The picture shows cracks, roots, offsets at joints, bellies where water pools, and collapse. A locator at the camera head lets us mark the spot on the surface, so a repair means one opening and not a trench through the yard.
| What you notice | What the camera often finds | Likely next step |
|---|---|---|
| Floor drain backs up in rain | Roots, a cracked joint or ground water entering | Clear, then spot repair or lining |
| Toilet and tub gurgle together | Partial blockage or a sagging section | Cleaning, then repair of the belly |
| Clog returns every few weeks | Roots through a joint or an offset | Cut roots, then repair that joint |
| Sewer smell outside or in the basement | Open joint or a broken pipe | Spot repair or full lateral work |
| Wet or sunken patch in the yard | Broken line leaking into the soil | Locate and excavate or line |
| Nothing drains at all | Collapsed pipe or total blockage | Excavation, since a camera may not pass |
A symptom suggests a cause. Only the camera shows it, and we show you the footage before we recommend anything.
Trenchless or excavation, how we choose
Two families of methods repair a sewer lateral. Excavation opens the ground and replaces the bad pipe. Trenchless methods repair the line from inside through a small access point. Neither is better in every case, and the camera decides which fits.
| Trenchless (lining or pipe bursting) | Excavation (open dig) | |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | Repairs from inside through a cleanout or a small pit | Opens the ground over the pipe and replaces it |
| Yard and driveway | Little disturbance, no long trench | Digging, then backfill and restoration |
| Best fit | Cracks, root entry, bad joints, a pipe that is still in line | Collapse, severe offset or a belly that must be corrected |
| Limits | Needs a pipe that is open enough to be cleaned and lined | More disruption and more site work |
| Pipe afterward | A new lining inside the old pipe, or a new pipe pulled in | A new section of pipe in the same trench |
| Permit and utilities | Often one small opening to locate and mark | Utility locates and a longer open excavation |
Cost follows the method and the access, not the headline. We explain the reason for our recommendation on your own line.
Pipe lining, the trenchless repair in plain terms
Pipe lining, sometimes called cured-in-place pipe, starts by cleaning the old line so the lining can bond to the wall. A flexible resin-soaked sleeve is pulled into the pipe and inflated. The resin hardens in place and forms a smooth new pipe inside the old one.
The sleeve seals cracks and joints where roots had been entering, and the finished surface sheds waste better than corroded iron. Branch connections are reopened from inside afterward, and a final camera run confirms the result.
Lining has honest limits. It cannot straighten a pipe that has sagged or shifted, and it does not help if the line has collapsed. It also shrinks the inside diameter slightly. When the camera shows a belly or a collapse, we say so and recommend digging at that spot instead. Roots are cut and jetted out first, and our hydro jetting work is part of preparing a line for lining.
Cleaning a main sewer line versus repairing it
A blocked main and a broken main look the same from the bathroom. If the pipe is intact, cleaning with a cable or jetter may be all you need, and our sewer line cleaning crews handle that. When the camera shows a cracked or collapsed pipe, cleaning only buys a few weeks and the repair becomes the real answer. We tell you plainly which side of that line you are on.
Why sewer laterals fail in Woodridge homes
The median Woodridge home was built in 1980, and about seven in ten were built before 1990. Laterals in houses that age are often clay, cast iron or older plastic, with joints that roots find first. If your home is in that group, a camera run is a sensible step before a small backup becomes a large one.
Water can also enter an old line from outside. Woodridge prohibits sump pump, pool and downspout water in the sanitary sewer, so if any of that is connected to your drain, a heavy rain can overload the line. We check where your sump and downspouts discharge before blaming the pipe.
The Village reimburses 50 percent of the installation cost, up to a set maximum, for an overhead sewer system, a sump pump or a check valve in the home. The program requires approval and paid receipts, so ask Public Works for current terms before any work begins.
The check valve keeps street sewage from coming back into your house when the main is full, which matters whatever condition your lateral is in. A sump pump that is plumbed correctly is part of the same picture.
Permits, digging and checking your plumber
Plumbing work in Woodridge needs a permit, and the Village says sewer repairs can be same-day permits. Community Development at 5 Plaza Drive, 630-719-4750, can tell you what applies to your job. See the permits FAQ for details.
Before any digging, JULIE 811 locates buried utilities at no charge, and the JULIE homeowner page says to call at least three days before you dig. Illinois plumbers must be licensed, and you can verify any plumber through the IDPH plumbing license lookup.
What drives the cost of a sewer line repair
A single spot repair and a full lateral replacement are different jobs, so a number given over the phone would be a guess. After the camera, you get a clear price before work starts.
Insurance policies differ. Many treat a sudden backup differently from long wear or root damage, and some exclude sewer line work unless you carry added coverage. Read your policy or ask your agent first.
Sewer repairs can often get same-day permits from the Village. The Village of Woodridge has adopted the Illinois State Plumbing Code, and permitted work is inspected against that standard.
Questions we hear
Yes. The line is open 24/7, and we take overnight, weekend and holiday calls for sewage backups. We stabilize the situation first, then camera the line and explain the repair options in daylight when possible.
You usually cannot tell from the fixtures. A clog clears and stays clear. A broken line backs up again, often within weeks. A camera run shows which one you have.
Often, but not always. It works on a pipe that is still in line and open enough to clean. A collapsed or badly sagging pipe usually has to be dug and replaced.
Yes. The camera head carries a locator, so we mark the spot on the surface. That means one targeted opening instead of searching the whole yard.
The Village handles the public sewer in the street. Ask Public Works where the Village's responsibility ends and yours begins. If the camera shows the problem is in the street main, call Public Works.
Roots usually entered through a joint or crack. Clearing them restores flow for a time, and the repair keeps them out. We show you the footage so the decision is yours.
Yes. When most of the line is failing, replacing the whole lateral, either by pipe bursting or open dig, can be more sensible than patching several spots.
Not by itself. A main clog is a cleaning job unless the camera finds damage. Repeated main clogs are the reason to look at the pipe itself.
Homes in nearby Naperville and the rest of our service area get the same camera-first repair process we use in Woodridge.