Emergency Sewer Repair and Replacement | Backups, Roots and Cracks in Levittown, PA

A sewer backup, and what to do in the first hour

When waste comes up in the lowest drain of the house, the clog sits in the main line itself, so every minute of running water adds to the mess. The first hour is about limiting the spread and getting the right person on the way.

1. Stop using toilets, sinks, showers and the washing machine.
2. Move belongings, rugs and electronics away from the wet floor.
3. Keep children and pets away, and wash hands thoroughly after any contact.
4. Open windows if the smell is strong, and switch off power to wet areas only if it is safe.
5. Call the dispatch line and describe where the waste is surfacing.

A backup that happens during or just after a hard rain can have a different cause than a grease clog. Water-logged ground and overloaded public sewers can push flow back into a house, and the plumber will check the line before assuming it is blocked.

Camera inspection: reading the line before any digging

A sewer camera is a small waterproof lens on a flexible rod, pushed down the line through a cleanout. It records what the pipe looks like: roots entering a joint, cracks along the top, a sag where water pools, and offsets where two lengths no longer meet. The footage is the evidence, and it should be shown to you. A scope also finds a sewer leak that shows up only as a damp patch in the yard or a smell by the foundation.

A good scope answers four things. Where is the problem, measured in feet from the cleanout? What is the problem? How much of the line is affected? And what material is the pipe made of? Those answers decide whether the fix is a cleaning, a spot repair, a lining or a replacement.

A camera look is also what some home sales require. Bristol Township, for example, asks the owner to supply a video of the lateral before a sale or transfer, which is covered in the ownership section below.

Sewer repair for a section that has failed

When damage is limited, a spot repair is the sensible choice. The plumber digs to the defect, cuts out the cracked or separated section and connects new pipe with proper couplings. The rest of the line, if the camera shows it sound, stays in service.

Roots are the most common reason a short section fails. They enter at a joint, widen the gap and catch paper, so a clog appears and returns. Cutting the roots clears the line for a while, but the opening stays, and the repair is what ends the cycle.

Before agreeing to a spot repair, ask the plumber what the camera showed on either side of the defect. A section that looks fine on the screen but sits beside weak pipe is only a matter of time.

Sewer replacement for a line that is wearing out

Some lines are past repair. When a camera shows several cracks, a belly that holds water, or pipe that is crumbling, replacing the line is the more reliable choice. Replacement also makes sense when the pipe material is known for failure, which is why identifying it matters.

Replacement can be done by an open trench along the old line or by trenchless methods that pull a new pipe through the old path. Which one fits depends on what lies above the line, how deep it runs and what the plumber finds.

Trenchless methods, relining and pipe bursting

Trenchless work repairs a line with little digging. In lining, a flexible tube coated with resin is pulled through the old pipe and cured in place, forming a new pipe inside the old one. In pipe bursting, a tool pulls a new pipe along the old path while breaking the old one outward.

These methods save lawns, driveways and landscaping, which is why many owners ask for them first. They are not right for every line. A pipe that has collapsed, has a severe belly or has been badly offset may need to be dug up, and the plumber should explain why.

Ask how much of the line will be lined, whether service connections are reopened afterward and what the camera pass shows at the end. A repair that cannot be inspected is not one to accept.

Sewer cleaning and rooter work

Before any repair, a line often needs cleaning so the camera can see. A rooter cable cuts through roots and clears paper and grease, and a jetter scours the walls. This is the same family of work described on the main drain clogs page, applied to the larger main line and often through the cleanout outside the house.

A cleanout is the capped pipe that gives the plumber access to the line without removing a toilet. Finding yours before a backup saves time. If the house has none, the plumber may suggest adding one when the line is repaired, so the next scope is simple.

A sewer smell inside or near the house is worth reporting. It can come from a dry trap, a cracked line or a blocked vent, and a plumber can find the source with a camera or a smoke test.

Who owns the sewer lateral where you live

The lateral is the pipe between your house and the public sewer, and who is responsible depends on the address. Levittown is a census designated place whose streets cross several municipalities, so confirm the rule that applies to yours before assuming. The table below summarizes what the sources say.

Source: Bristol Township ordinance page; Falls Township code; Bensalem emergency sewer repair form; Philadelphia Water Department.

Sewer line questions, answered