Sewer back-up help
Contact the City if you experience a sewer back-up in your home from toilets, sinks or floor drains.
- Call 503-618-2626 during business hours.
- Call 503-661-3906 during evenings, weekends or holidays.
The City will respond immediately to protect public health and provide limited preliminary clean-up.
- Information will be provided related to the cause of the back-up and clean-up.
- Gresham utility customers are responsible for sewer back-ups caused in the private sewer lines.
- If the blockage is within the public sewer system, the City will cover the clean-up.
Unflushables
What not to flush or pour down the drain:
- Wipes of any kind. Baby wipes, hand wipes, cleaning wipes, etc. Wipes may say “disposable or flushable,” but they don’t dissolve and can clog the sewer system.
- Paper towels are thick and absorbent and can lead to clogs.
- Hair can bind things together and create clogs.
- Tampons and sanitary pads expand and absorb liquid and can build up over time to create clogs.
- Fats, oils and grease.
- Medication.
- Any other objects and toxic chemicals.
Take
action
- Place rags over the back-up to stop the flow.
- Secure the rags in place with a sandbag, kitty litter, etc.
- Wash hands and all body parts with soap and water that came into contact with sewage.
- Evacuate all people and pets. Any contact with untreated sewage is potentially harmful.
- Call your insurance agent to determine if your losses may be covered.
- Arrange for cleanup.
- Assess damage. Itemize and document damage to property, structures and belongings.
Sewer
back-up causes
- Pipe failure
- Blockages from grease, rocks, roots, toys and other foreign objects
- Excessive flows that exceed system capacity, typically from excessive rainfall
- Damage by contractors
- Power or mechanical failures at sewer pump stations
- Settlement or movement of the soil next to a pipe
Backwater
valve protection
A backwater valve attaches to the sewer discharge pipe to prevent sewer from flowing back into a building or onto the property.
- These valves help reverse sewage flow.
- Instead of sewage flowing back into your house, the valve closes if backwater is detected.
- Properties at a lower elevation than the nearest manhole in the street are typically at greater risk for sewage backups, if a backwater valve is not installed.
Oregon State Plumbing Code requires installing a backwater valve at applicable properties.
Sewer backup brochure
Contact
us
For more information contact Jeff Loftin at 503-618-2669.