The Sewer Backup Prevention Program involves modifications to the properties’ internal plumbing. Several modifications to a home’s internal plumbing configuration are available.
Normally, all plumbing in a home drains to the lowest spot in a house below the basement floor. When a public sewer is overcharged, flow comes out the basement floor drain instead of water going into it. One option: instead of all the wastewater in the house draining through the basement sewer, the plumbing can be modified with a new sewer, located just below the first floor (“strapped plumbing”). Basement floor drains would be disconnected from the overcharged sewer, giving more storage in the sewer line and preventing backups.
For structures with a number of plumbing fixtures in the basement, like a drain for the washing machine or another bathroom, basement pipes are redirected to one low spot where a wet well and pump are installed. This allows for interior or exterior installation, depending on the existing plumbing configuration. Wastewater from the entire house drains to the wet well where the pump forces the flow back into the plumbing and out of the home.
This program is only available to homeowners who have a history of basement backups. MSD would pay all costs related to this work. MSD often uses backflow devices as a level of protection against future backups until a long-term solution can be implemented.
For more information, contact (314) 768-6260.
