Draingage Backups

In spite of best efforts by municipal staff, drainage backups can occur. In most cases, the problem involves water coming in the basement wall, up through the basement floor or under the door at a basement door-sill. If you encounter a drainage backup in your home or place of business, you should contact and employ a plumber to investigate and attempt to correct the problem because in most cases the problems is within your property. Common causes are:

• plugged foundation drains;
• more water from roof down spouts than drains can take;
• frozen ground preventing water getting into foundation drains; and
• accumulations of snow prevent surface water from flowing away from the building foundation.

If after investigating you determine the cause of drainage backup is not within the property, you should contact Public Works by calling the emergency phone number shown on this page and advise us of your situation. Municipal staff will respond and begin to inspect the municipal drainage system for possible blockage. Municipal staff will advise you on the results of their inspection of the municipal sewers but will not investigate nor attempt to correct problems on your property. With any drainage backup, there is the potential for property damage. The residents should immediately take whatever reasonable steps are necessary (and possible) to minimize the damages, like:

• moving valuable items to a location where they’re not subject to being damaged by backing up water; and
• seeking help immediately from a licensed plumber.