Warning Signs Your Sewer Line Is Failing

A single slow drain is usually a localized clog — hair in a bathroom drain, grease in a kitchen drain. When multiple drains throughout the house are slow simultaneously, the problem is in the main sewer line, not individual branch lines. This is a clear signal that a camera inspection is warranted.

Gurgling sounds — particularly from a toilet when you run water elsewhere in the house — indicate a partial blockage in the main line. Air is being forced back through the system as water tries to pass a restriction. This is one of the earliest warning signs and often appears months before a complete blockage.

Sewage odors inside the home can indicate a cracked sewer line allowing sewer gas to escape into the living space. This is both a comfort issue and a health concern — sewer gas contains hydrogen sulfide and methane. If you smell sewage inside your home and all your drain traps are properly filled with water, a camera inspection of the sewer line is the right next step.

A leaking sewer line underground will saturate the soil above it. This shows up as wet spots in the yard during dry weather, or as a patch of unusually lush, green grass (sewage is a fertilizer). If you notice either of these, particularly in the area between your house and the street where the sewer lateral runs, a camera inspection can confirm whether the line is leaking.

When a sewer line is completely blocked, sewage backs up into the lowest drain in the house — typically a basement floor drain or a ground-floor toilet. This is a plumbing emergency. Do not use any water in the house until the blockage is cleared.