Sewer Backups and Water Quality

Sewer Backups

Sewer backup occurs when something blocks the normal flow of wastewater from your house to the Town’s wastewater line. When this happens, foul water often comes up through the floor drain or toilet in your basement. When sewer backup is reported to us, we will inspect the wastewater main line in front of your property. Our inspection will determine whether the backup is due to a problem with a municipal main line, or your property's service line. It is best practice to call a plumber first to start the initial examination of your wastewater line to determine the location of the blockage.

• If the service line within your property is identified as the source or the sewer backup problem, the repair is the property owner's responsibility.
• What is truly flushable? 
• If a service line on municipal property is identified as the source of the problem, the Town will review to determine how best to proceed. The Town of Olds bylaws specify that we will compensate the owner or occupant for the cost of the video inspection, and complete repairs as necessary, if the source of the backup is identified on municipal property.

A Sewer Backup Is An Insurable Risk

If damage to your premises occurred because of the backup, contact your insurance company for help.

Contact

To report a sewer backup to the Town's Utilities Department, call 403-556-6981.