Signs Your Sewer Line Is Damaged

Your sewer line is one of the most important—and most hidden—components of your plumbing system. Running underground from your home to the municipal sewer, it carries all wastewater away from your property. When it's damaged, the consequences can be severe and expensive.

Golding Plumbing helps Pickering and Durham Region homeowners identify sewer line damage early, before it leads to backups, property damage, or health hazards. Here are the warning signs to watch for.

Frequent Drain Backups

If you're experiencing recurring drain backups, especially in lower-level fixtures like basement floor drains or first-floor toilets, your sewer line may be damaged. While individual clogs are common, multiple fixtures backing up simultaneously points to a main line problem.

Don't keep treating the symptoms with drain cleaning. A sewer line inspection with video camera technology reveals the root cause and guides the proper repair.

Sewage Odors in Your Yard or Home

The smell of sewage in your yard, basement, or near your home's foundation is a strong indicator of sewer line damage. Cracks or breaks in the sewer pipe allow gases to escape into the surrounding soil and eventually into your living spaces.

Sewer gas contains methane and hydrogen sulfide, which can be harmful. If you smell sewage, call a plumber promptly for investigation.

Unusually Lush Patches of Grass

If one area of your lawn is significantly greener or lusher than the surrounding grass, it may be receiving fertilizer from a leaking sewer line. Sewage is rich in nutrients that promote plant growth, making the area above a sewer leak noticeably different.

While a green lawn sounds nice, a leaking sewer line is a serious problem that will worsen over time. Professional repair prevents contamination and property damage.

Foundation Cracks or Sinkholes

A severely damaged sewer line can erode soil around and under your foundation, leading to foundation settling, cracks, and in extreme cases, sinkholes. If you notice new cracks in your foundation, floors, or walls, a sewer line issue could be the cause.

This is an urgent situation requiring immediate professional attention. Call Golding Plumbing at (416) 669-8327 for emergency sewer line inspection and repair in Durham Region.