An overtaxed sewer main while having heavy rain could be caused by a number of things. Roof downspouts draining too close to the house, a problem with the perimeter or foundation drains, problems with a sump-pump, a blockage of the main, etc. could be the cause (all are examples of internal plumbing problems). An overtaxed sewer main due to the heavy rain or a blockage of the main could also be the cause. Although we may not be able to determine the exact cause of the problem, Sewer Maintenance can determine if it is being caused by a problem with the sewer main, or if it is an internal plumbing problem.
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No. The City has separate systems. The storm sewer works to drain rainwater directly to the area rivers and streams. The sanitary system takes all wastewater to the sewage treatment plant for treatment prior to its discharge into the river.
Green paint is the color designated for sewer lines by the Ohio Utilities Protection Service or OUPS. Whenever anyone is going to do utility work that requires digging into the ground (gas or water lines, light poles, electric, telephone, or cable lines, etc.) they must call OUPS two days in advance and a representative from the utility company will go to the proposed site and mark any utility they have underground with their designated color. This is done to prevent damage to their utilities that may be in the way of the work to be performed.
Grease enters from homes and / or restaurant pouring their used cooking grease down the drain. This grease will solidify in their own service lines as well as the sewer main and will lead to blockage of the lines causing backups and flooding. Residents should allow cooking oil and grease to cool down, then discard it in the trash can. Restaurants and other businesses should have grease traps installed and properly maintained.
There is no rule of thumb here, it would depend on the condition of the lateral, as well as if trees or shrubs are near the lateral causing a root problem.
This condition would most likely be caused by the water in a basement fixture trap (toilet, sink, floor drain etc.) evaporating allowing sewer gas to come through the trap. Pour water into all fixtures that have a trap to correct the situation.
After it has been confirmed that a lateral is in fact broken, the procedures for repair will depend on where the break is located. If the break is on your side of the curb, it can be repaired by a licensed plumber after a permit is pulled. If the break is on the street side of the curb, the plumber must pull the permit and then get in contact with Sewer Maintenance to have City crews do all work that would be required from the Sewer main to the curb. The City would then charge the plumber for work to the main and the plumber charges you.
Montgomery County Sewer and Water emergencies can be reported at 937-781-2678.
That depends on a number of factors such as, length of lateral, depth of main, class of street, etc. A schedule of prices can be obtained from the Division of Sewer Maintenance by calling 937-333-4915.
Pine-Sol or any other disinfectant is good to use in the event of sewage back up. The product our crews use is actually or only to deodorize and not a true disinfectant.
Sewer Odor should not cause serious health problems, but may cause nausea. Ventilate or leave the area if you feel sick from the odor.
The property owner is responsible for the lateral from the house to the sewer main. A plumber, who is licensed with the City of Dayton, is required to pull a plumbing permit to make repairs to existing laterals or make new installations of service laterals, when a problem exists in a homeowner's lateral. All work done in the street must be completed by City crews. The City charges the plumber for all work done in the street and the plumber charges the property owner.
The crew will respond to all calls as quickly as possible. However, the order the calls come in, as well as the nature of the problem, will dictate the response order, or order in which they are responded. Our goal is to answer (response to) all calls within ninety minutes of time received.
As part of the maintenance of sewers, they are cleaned using a hose and nozzle that sprays water at a very high pressure to scour the inside of the pipe. Sometimes this high pressure can create an air vacuum effect, drawing air through house laterals and this vacuum or back-pressure could cause a "gurgling" in the toilet of homes.
The Sewer Main is the sole responsibility of Sewer Maintenance to clean or repair. If some special need would arise that required the homeowner to obtain the Main location, it would be provided by calling Sewer Maintenance at 333-4915. All utilities can be located by calling Ohio Utilities Protection Service (OUPS) at 1-800-362-2764. This needs to be done 48 hours before you dig.
No. However this information can sometimes be found by calling plumbing inspection at 333-3892 and asking for a "lateral location" for the property. Also, the homeowner can hire a plumber who can use an electronic probe or other methods to help determine location.
Call the Division of Sewer Maintenance at 937-333-4915 to report problems with drainage or street flooding near your property, as well as any other sewer related problems. We will work with other city agencies, such as Water Engineering, to determine what steps are needed to correct these problems.
As part of the maintenance of sewers, they are cleaned using a hose and nozzle that sprays water at a very high pressure to scour the inside of the pipe. Sometimes this high pressure can force water to travel backward up the service line of homes causing water to be forced out of drains inside the home.
No. Catch basins are part of the public storm sewer system and are the responsibility of the Division of Sewer Maintenance. A seasonal program is used to clean the thousands of catch basins located throughout the city. The storm water fee you pay helps to maintain this program.
No. Catch basins are part of the public storm sewer system and are the responsibility of the Division of Sewer Maintenance. If a problem exists in your area, contact the Division of Sewer Maintenance and a crew will investigate the complaint for potential repair.
The Storm Water fee was created due to a new EPA mandate to improve the quality of water being discharged to rivers and streams to reduce pollution. The fee is charged to any property within the City's corporate limit having its rainwater runoff conveyed either through the storm water sewer system directly or indirectly through other channels to the public storm sewers discharging to a river and/or stream. A portion of the fee is designated to the overall maintenance of the existing storm water system. The fee is also used to help educate the public and private industries on how to employ best practices to reduce pollution in the rainwater leaving their properties going to local rivers and streams. Additionally, street sweeping is also an activity supported by the fee in an effort to reduce litter and other contaminants on the street from reaching the rivers.