Edmonton Emergency PlumberCall780-652-1462

Floor drain backing up in basement? Sewer backup help, Edmonton

Sewage or dirty water is coming up through a floor drain, toilet or tub. Stop using water and keep everyone away from it.

Call 780-652-1462

Call or send a request any time, day or night. Calls are answered by an automated assistant and transcribed. Calls are answered in English.

A local plumber will call you back as soon as possible. If this can't wait, call other plumbers too.

What to do right now

  1. Keep children and pets away

    Keep children and pets away from the sewage. Don't flush toilets or run water until it's fixed.

    CMHC advises keeping children, pregnant women and people with breathing problems away from contaminated water. If you must touch sewage water, wear gloves and boots, and wash your hands well after.

  2. Stop using water

    Don't use the toilet, sink, shower, washer or dishwasher. EPCOR explains that when the backwater valve closes, wastewater has nowhere to go except up the floor drain and into your basement.

  3. Water near power? Get out

    If water is above an outlet, get out. Alberta's advice is to stay out until your electricity supplier confirms the power is off. Don't run a gas-powered pump indoors, which can give off deadly carbon monoxide, or an electric pump, which can cause electrocution.

  4. Call EPCOR at 780-412-4500

    The problem may be on the city side. Call EPCOR any time: 780-412-4500.

    EPCOR's advice is to proceed with caution and call that number to report flooding in your basement.

  5. Call your insurer

    Call your insurance company as soon as you can. EPCOR suggests a list of damaged items, and photos taken before you repair or throw anything out.

  6. Furnace or water heater in the water?

    Has water reached your furnace or water heater? Don't use it until a professional checks it. The Government of Alberta says a certified technician should examine flood-damaged furnaces, water heaters, appliances and electrical equipment before you use them.

  7. Then a plumber for your side of the line

    EPCOR makes the homeowner responsible for sewer lines on the property, including any backwater valve. That part is a job for a plumber.

Close-up of a stainless steel sink with a perforated drain strainer.
A sink drain strainer.

Basement flooding through floor drain: what is happening

EPCOR says sewer backups happen when your sewer service line is plugged, partly clogged, blocked or damaged. The causes it lists:

  • Fats, oils and grease.
  • Things that shouldn't be flushed.
  • Tree roots.
  • Sagging sewer lines.
  • Collapsed or broken pipes.

Sewer backup after heavy rain

EPCOR says basement flooding can happen any time of year, but is most common during spring melt and summer rainstorms. In heavy rain the stormwater system can reach capacity. EPCOR calls that sewer surcharging, and it raises the risk of basement flooding and sewer backups.

During a storm, EPCOR asks you to avoid using water. A shower or a load of laundry can cause a backup when the neighbourhood sewer is at or near capacity.

EPCOR also runs a combined sewer, a single pipe that carries both stormwater and wastewater. It says that system was developed before 1960.

Basement flooding, Edmonton: whose pipe is it?

EPCOR is responsible for the sewer pipe from your property line to the main in the street or alley. You are responsible for the sewer line on your property, including a backwater valve if you have one.

EPCOR's published fees for sewer obstruction work are $410 for the first investigation call, $220 for each later investigation visit, and $255 to remove the blockage, with both charged when it removes one. EPCOR also charges a fee if prohibited waste caused the blockage, wherever it sits in the line. Private plumbers offer the same service, and EPCOR says it won't reimburse a plumber's fees.

How to prevent sewer backup in basement

A backwater valve sits on the main sewer pipe in your home and stops sewage flowing back in from the main line. EPCOR says backwater valves were not required in homes built before 1989, so an older home may not have one.

EPCOR's Backwater Valve Subsidy offers up to $800 toward installing one, for eligible homeowners. Funding is limited and first come, first served, and EPCOR says there are no guarantees. A professional plumber must install the valve, and the work needs a City plumbing permit.

EPCOR also offers a free flood prevention home inspection for homes in the City of Edmonton.

Basement flooding, who to call: the request

Call EPCOR first if sewage is coming up. For the pipes on your side of the property line, you can call or send the form here any time, day or night. A local plumber will call you back as soon as possible. If this can't wait, call other plumbers too.

Renting? Tell your landlord or building manager now. They may have their own emergency line, and they may need to approve the work.

Questions

Is sewer backup an emergency?

Yes. EPCOR lists a sewer backup in your basement as a water emergency and asks you to report it at 780-412-4500.

Is sewer backup dangerous?

It can be. Sewage is contaminated water, and CMHC says to keep children, pregnant women and anyone with breathing problems away from it. Water above an outlet adds a shock risk, so leave and stay out until the power is confirmed off.

Why is my basement floor drain backing up after heavy rain?

Heavy rain can fill the stormwater system to capacity. EPCOR says that raises the risk of basement flooding and sewer backups. Stop using water until the storm passes, and call EPCOR if sewage comes up.

City of Edmonton sewer backup phone number?

EPCOR runs Edmonton's water and drainage, and its 24-hour emergency line is 780-412-4500. EPCOR says to call that number if you are experiencing a sewer backup in Edmonton.

Is sewer backup covered by homeowners insurance?

Check your policy. The Insurance Bureau of Canada says damage from sewers and drains backing up is typically not covered by a standard policy, and that most insurers offer optional sewer backup coverage.

Basement flooding: who to call?

Call 911 if anyone is hurt or water may be touching anything electrical. Call EPCOR at 780-412-4500 for a sewer backup. Then call your insurer, and a plumber for your side of the line.

Sources

Other problems

Areas we take requests from

Send a request

Prefer not to call? Send your details. A local plumber will call you back as soon as possible. If this can't wait, call other plumbers too.

We use your details to arrange a call back. See the privacy page.

Call 780-652-1462

Calls are answered by an automated assistant and transcribed.