So I have a storm/sewer drain in my front yard that's overflowing with clean looking water. To stop it from flooding through my house I opened the cleanout in the back and the water has been pouring out for the last 2 days. I am at a complete loss. I don't have negative grade, and a sidewalk vent between the sewer and my sewer lateral (it opens 8' above the lateral) doesn't appear to be flooding.

I've shut off the water to my house with no effect on the water flow. It looks to me like water has filled up my sewer lateral sometimes in a gusher, usually a steady trickle. I've asked the local PUC to look into it, but after flushing the line to the street they just said they'd "check it out" and left. I've not heard back. I've called a few plumbers and gotten some suggestions, but for the most part the guys I talk to scratch their heads and tell me to call PUC.

My question is, what would happen if I found a way to block the drain in my yard and installed an up pointing elbow and a few vertical feet of pipe where the water is pouring out of my cleanout? The idea is to make the cleanout higher than whatever point the water is rising to (if that's my problem, I just can't think of what would be flooding my sewer lateral like that). Any ideas would help me out a lot.

 

I don't know why the PUC won't fix the situation??

Is that a combine system? are your fixtures working?

I don't know what good it would do to block the line, what has to be done is to find the problem and fix it.

I would keep calling the PUC until they do something, sorry I don't have an answer.

 

They finally came by and sent green dye into the sewer uphill. Now my entire yard is neon green. That convinced them to get the big truck out to flush the whole pipe and that fixed the problem. I'd still love it if someone has a suggestion for how to help protect my house from future floods like this.

 

You never said if that is a combined system or a separate line for the storm and the sewage. The only thing that would stop that is to install a back-water valve on the line with the prob.

You have to keep in mind that a back-water valve will keep drainage from comming in but also from going out, so any fixtures connected to that line can't be used if you have the prob. again.

The area you live in may, or may not allow you to install one, best I can do, luck.