Sewer Lateral Blockages

1. Call for help
   If you suspect that your sewer is blocked, you should avoid flushing toilets, and using sink, tub and shower drains until the source of the sewer backup has been corrected. Then you should immediately contact an approved, licensed plumbing contractor or the City of Brantford's Customer Services Department at 519-756-1360. If the City responds, the blockage will be cleared and a video will be taken with a copy provided to you showing the cause of the stoppage for your records.
2. Locate your sewer cleanout and ensure access
   Your home's sewer cleanout must be located and accessible. It's normally located in the basement where the sewer pipe exits the home (typically by the foundation wall or in the basement floor). Your cleanout will need to be accessible in order to unblock your sewer. A clear path to the cleanout is required to allow specialized machinery to be used and the cleanout must be fully exposed. Some homes have been constructed with a two-way cleanout, normally located outside the home by the foundation wall where the internal plumbing exits the house.
3. Call for a Sewer Safety Inspection
   Before any work can begin to unplug the sewer, a Sewer Safety Inspection MUST be done. It may be possible that an underground gas utility has intersected with the sewer pipe outside your home. This is known as a "cross bore". It can often sit without incident unless the gas line is damaged by mechanical equipment used to clear a sewer blockage.

To prevent the risk of a gas leak or explosion before clearing a blocked sewer, call Ontario One Call at 1-800-400-2255 for a Sewer Safety Inspection. The gas utility representative will locate the natural gas lines and work with the plumber or resident as required to ensure there is no potential conflict.

This service is provided at no cost to the homeowner. Sewer Safety Inspections are treated as emergency calls and the Gas Utility targets a response time of 1 to 2 hours. For additional cross bore safety information, please visit: https://www.uniongas.com/sewersafety

The most common cause of backed up drains or basement flooding in your home is a blockage in the sewer pipe connecting your home to the sanitary sewer on the street. This is most commonly caused by:

1. Tree roots growing into the pipe and/or
2. Too much fats, oils or grease build-up in the pipe and/or
3. Improper disposal of items such as rags, wipes, toys, garbage, diapers, sanitary napkins. Please note that "flushable" wipes are clogging sewers in our municipality as well as others across Canada as explained in the following video. Click to open "Toilet Paper - The One and Only Flushable Wipe" video.
4. Structural concerns such as breaks and collapse of old deteriorated sanitary sewer laterals

Depending on the nature of the blockage, it may take 2 hours or more for a crew of 2 staff to clear a blockage and conduct a video inspection of the sewer lateral after it has been cleared.

• The owner will be asked to sign a form authorizing City staff entry to their home.
• No cleanout may be found or the location is known but inaccessible.
• The cleanout cap and other internal plumbing is the owner's responsibility to maintain. Any damage in removing the cap is the owner's responsibility to repair.
• In some situations the blockage will not be able to be cleared through a cleanout. Depending on the location of the blockage (private side or City side) the owner or the City may need to excavate so that the pipe can be repaired or replaced.
• Any cleaning of the work area after the work is completed is the responsibility of the owner.

Our services to clear sewer blockages are 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The City charges competitive rates during normal hours and after hours, weekends and holidays for clearing stoppages. Our fees are inclusive of labour and video charges. A video of the entire lateral is taken after each response. Taking a video is essential to assess the structural condition of the pipe and undertake necessary repairs to prevent future blockages. For details on current year rates check our current Schedule of Wastewater Fees and Charges on our Water Rates page.

The property owner is responsible for the sewer lateral up to their property line. From the property line to the wastewater main in the street, the City has responsibility for clearing any blockages and sewer replacement as appropriate. The exception to this is if it’s determined that the City side of the sewer lateral is blocked due to inappropriate materials such as toys, or other objects/issues that have originated from the private side.

1. Call for a Sewer Safety Inspection through Ontario One Call at 1-800-400-2255.
2. Sign a form to authorize entry and investigation by City Staff.
3. Provide clear access and working area to the sewer cleanout.
4. Prepare area around the cleanout for possible sewage mess by laying plastic or drop sheets around the working area of the cleanout.
5. Pay for City services (if used) when the blockage is found to be on the homeowner's private property or on the public portion as a result of improper use.

1. Conduct an initial investigation by checking with the owner to make sure that the concern is not caused by an internal plumbing blockage from within the home. A plumber will need to be called in this circumstance.
2. Once the Sewer Safety Inspection has been completed and the homeowner has signed a form authorizing entry, the City will proceed with restoration of sewer service which may include jetting and mechanical cutting.
3. If a blockage is found to be in the City's portion of the sewer located between the City's sewer main on the road and the homeowner's property line, the City will excavate the sewer to correct the problem at the City's cost. If it is determined that the sewer service is blocked due to inappropriate materials originating from the private side, the property owner will be charged the cost of the repair .