North Shore Water Damage Help (847) 000-0000
Free referral service — not a contractor. North Shore Water Damage Help does not perform restoration, plumbing or mold work. Calls are routed to independent, third-party local providers who pay for referrals. Calls may be recorded. How this works.

Sewer backup

Water coming up from a floor drain, basement toilet or laundry tub is sewage. It needs to be handled differently from clean water.

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Treat it as contaminated. The EPA advises calling in a professional when water is contaminated with sewage, and not running fans until the water source is confirmed clean, because fans can spread contaminants. Keep children and pets out, wear gloves and boots, and wash thoroughly.

Why sewers back up in North Shore homes

During heavy rain, stormwater leaks into sanitary sewers through cracked pipes, illegal sump and downspout connections, and broken laterals. Glencoe calls inflow and infiltration a major problem in several North Shore communities. When the public sewer fills up, homes with gravity plumbing can back up through the lowest opening, usually the basement floor drain. A blockage in your own lateral, such as tree roots or “flushable” wipes, which Lake Forest warns against, can cause a backup even in dry weather.

Call your municipality

Your village or city owns the street sewers. Glencoe and Lake Bluff explicitly ask residents to contact public works before calling a plumber, and Wilmette asks residents to report backups so it can track where the system is still vulnerable. Find your number on your town page.

Long-term protection options

OptionHow it works
Overhead sewerBasement fixtures drain to a sealed ejector pit; a pump lifts wastewater up near the ceiling and out to the sewer, so a surcharged sewer has to rise much higher to reach the basement.
Backflow (check) valveA valve on the sewer line closes when flow reverses. It's usually less disruptive to install but needs routine maintenance.
Standpipe in floor drainA simple pipe in the floor drain that raises the level water must reach. Lake Forest and Glencoe both suggest it where the drain location allows.
Lateral lining or replacementFixes cracked or root-filled private sewer lines that let groundwater in.

Highland Park, Glenview, Northbrook, Winnetka and Glencoe have published cost-share or rebate programs for some of these. See each town page for terms we could verify.

Related problems

Water damage restoration

Any water that got where it shouldn't: leaks, overflows, storm water.

Flooded basement

Standing water after a storm, a failed pump or seepage.

Burst or frozen pipes

Supply lines that split, usually in a cold snap.

Sump pump failure

Pump quit, power went out, or it couldn't keep up.

Mold after water damage

Musty smell or growth after a leak or flood.

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One free call connects you with an independent local water damage provider. This site is a referral service, not a contractor.

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Frequently asked questions

Is sewer backup covered by insurance?
Usually only if your homeowners policy has a sewer/water-backup endorsement. NFIP flood insurance covers backup only when it's directly caused by a general flood. Illinois insurers must provide information on backup coverage at application and before each renewal.
Is the village responsible for my sewer backup?
Generally the property owner is responsible for the private lateral from the house to the main. Wilmette's code, for example, makes owners responsible up to and including the connection to the main. Report the backup anyway so the municipality can check the public line.
Can I clean up a sewer backup myself?
Small, shallow backups are sometimes handled by homeowners with protective gear, but EPA guidance is to call a professional for sewage-contaminated water. Porous materials it touched usually need to be discarded.

Sources

Local facts on this page come from these public sources. Programs, amounts and phone numbers change — confirm with the agency before relying on them.

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