Sewer Backups

Sewer back-up help

Contact the City if you experience a sewer back-up in your home from toilets, sinks or floor drains.

• Call 503-618-2626 during business hours.
• Call 503-661-3906 during evenings, weekends or holidays.

The City will respond immediately to protect public health and provide limited preliminary clean-up.

• Information will be provided related to the cause of the back-up and clean-up.
• Gresham utility customers are responsible for sewer back-ups caused in the private sewer lines.
• If the blockage is within the public sewer system, the City will cover the clean-up.

Unflushables

What not to flush or pour down the drain:

• Wipes of any kind. Baby wipes, hand wipes, cleaning wipes, etc. Wipes may say “disposable or flushable,” but they don’t dissolve and can clog the sewer system.
• Paper towels are thick and absorbent and can lead to clogs.
• Hair can bind things together and create clogs.
• Tampons and sanitary pads expand and absorb liquid and can build up over time to create clogs.
• Fats, oils and grease.
• Medication.
• Any other objects and toxic chemicals.

Take action

• Place rags over the back-up to stop the flow.
• Secure the rags in place with a sandbag, kitty litter, etc.
• Wash hands and all body parts with soap and water that came into contact with sewage.
• Evacuate all people and pets. Any contact with untreated sewage is potentially harmful.
• Call your insurance agent to determine if your losses may be covered.
• Arrange for cleanup.
• Assess damage. Itemize and document damage to property, structures and belongings.

Sewer back-up causes

• Pipe failure
• Blockages from grease, rocks, roots, toys and other foreign objects
• Excessive flows that exceed system capacity, typically from excessive rainfall
• Damage by contractors
• Power or mechanical failures at sewer pump stations
• Settlement or movement of the soil next to a pipe

Backwater valve protection

A backwater valve attaches to the sewer discharge pipe to prevent sewer from flowing back into a building or onto the property.

• These valves help reverse sewage flow.
• Instead of sewage flowing back into your house, the valve closes if backwater is detected.
• Properties at a lower elevation than the nearest manhole in the street are typically at greater risk for sewage backups, if a backwater valve is not installed.

Oregon State Plumbing Code requires installing a backwater valve at applicable properties.

Sewer backup brochure

Contact us

For more information contact Jeff Loftin at 503-618-2669.