Sewer backup: what to do first
A sewer backup means the main drain that carries waste away from the house is blocked or overloaded. Water that cannot leave the house has to go somewhere, and it comes up at the lowest drain, usually a basement floor drain, a shower or a toilet. That makes it a health hazard as well as a plumbing problem.
Stop all water use, including the toilets, because every flush adds to the problem. Keep children and pets away from the backed-up area. Water that has touched sewage should be treated as contaminated, and anything porous it reached may need to be discarded.
Checklist while you wait
- Do not run the washing machine, dishwasher or showers.
- Turn off power to a flooded basement only if you can reach the panel safely from dry ground. Otherwise stay out and call your electric utility.
- Take photos of the damage for your insurance company before any cleanup.
- Ask the neighbors if they have the same problem. If they do, the blockage may be in the public sewer main and Lake County Public Works lists an emergency line at 847-377-7188.
Is it your pipe or the public main?
Vernon Hills is in the South Central service area of Lake County Public Works, which maintains the public sanitary sewer. The county's sewer use ordinance makes the owner responsible for keeping the building sewer, the private pipe from the house to the public main, clean and flowing freely.
In practice, a backup that affects only your home points to your own line. A backup on several homes on the same street points toward the main. If you are unsure, we can check from your cleanout with a camera or cable, and tell you what the footage shows before you decide who to call.
Main line backup: likely causes
| Cause | How it shows up | Typical next step |
|---|---|---|
| Tree roots in a joint | Repeat backups every few months, especially in warm, wet seasons. | Cut roots, jet the line and camera the pipe. |
| Grease and wipes | Slow drains throughout the house over time, then a full stop. | Cable and jet, then change habits. |
| Bellied or settled pipe | Standing water in a low spot, repeat clogs at the same distance. | Camera to confirm, then repair or replace that section. |
| Collapsed or broken pipe | Cable stops at a hard obstruction. Debris or soil comes back. | Camera, locate and repair. |
| Clear water overloading the system | Backups only during heavy rain. | Check for illegal connections such as sump pumps and downspouts. |
How we clean a sewer line
Most main lines are cleaned with a drum cable machine, which feeds a flexible steel cable with a cutting head through the cleanout. The head chews through roots and soft blockages while the cable is rotated. For grease, scale or repeat roots we follow with a hydro jet, which our hydro jetting page explains.
We then run a camera down the line to confirm it is open and to look at the pipe itself. A line that is clean but damaged will clog again, so the footage tells us whether to stop at cleaning or recommend work on the sewer line repair page. You can ask to see the recording, and our sewer camera inspection page explains what the camera shows.
Sewage backing up?
Call the 24/7 line now. We will tell you what to shut off and send the right equipment.
Storm drains, yard drains and catch basins
A private storm drain, yard drain or catch basin is separate from the sewer. It carries rainwater, not waste, and it clogs with leaves, silt and debris. We clear these with a cable or a jetter and check that the discharge point is open.
The distinction matters. Lake County Public Works prohibits connecting downspouts, foundation drains and groundwater sump pumps to the sanitary sewer. If your yard drain or sump pump has been connected to the sanitary line, we will explain what to change. This is not storm drain cleaning for municipal systems, which is handled by the village or the county.
Septic questions in a sewered village
Vernon Hills homes connect to the sanitary sewer, so septic systems are uncommon here. If your property is on a septic tank, pumping is a different trade, and we will tell you on the phone whether we can help or who to call instead.
If your home is in Mundelein or another nearby town, the sewer arrangement may differ, since Lake County Public Works serves only portions of Mundelein and some neighboring areas. Ask us and we will confirm what applies at your address.
What sewer line cleaning costs
The cost depends on the line, the access and what is blocking it. We give a clear price before work starts and explain whether a camera pass is worth adding.
Check your homeowners policy for a sewer or water backup endorsement. Without it, backup damage is often excluded, even when the cause is a clogged public sewer.
Code and permits note
According to Lake County Public Works, the sanitary sewer in this area is run by the utility, while the pipe from your house to the main is yours to keep clear. That line decides who to call first.
If cleaning finds a broken pipe, the village permit guide describes a permit and inspection for the repair.
Sewer line cleaning questions from Vernon Hills homeowners
Yes. Our line is answered 24 hours a day, every day. Sewage backups get priority. We tell you what to shut off, ask a few questions about which drains are affected, and dispatch equipment. Same-day appointments are offered when available for slower drains.
If neighbors have the same backup, or if the cleanout shows water standing at the main, the public sewer may be involved. Lake County Public Works lists an emergency line at 847-377-7188 and can tell you whether the main is flowing.
Only if your policy has a sewer or water backup endorsement. Standard policies commonly exclude it, so read yours before the next storm.
Several fixtures draining slowly, toilets gurgling when the washer runs, and sewage or water at a basement floor drain are the common signs.
A plunger helps a single toilet. For a main line it only pushes the blockage around. Chemical cleaners do not reach it and create a hazard for whoever opens the line.