What Causes Sewers To Back Up After a Storm?

10/19/2018 (Permalink)

Municipal sewer systems can become overwhelmed and back up due to heavy rain. There are three common reasons why excessive rain water can lead to a sewer backup.

1. Increased Development

A storm sewer system that serves a municipality that has experienced a lot of rapid development may not be able to keep up with increased runoff levels. This can cause storm water to back up into the drains of commercial properties and homes in the region. Commercial property owners may want to consider an insurance endorsement or preventative plumbing solutions for frequent backups.

2. Poor Sewer Maintenance

The city also may not be doing a sufficient amount of sewer maintenance. Unfortunately, even if the municipality is to blame for a sewer backup, it is probably not liable for the cost of removing black water and restoring commercial property damage. Sewer backups are also commonly excluded from commercial property insurance policies. You may want to add a sewage damage endorsement to a policy to cover mitigation and restoration costs.

3. Lack of Dedicated Storm Sewers

If a municipality does not have enough storm sewers, flooding and backups may happen every time it rains heavily. If this is the case, a commercial property owner may want to consider having a basement drain raised and an ejector pump installed or having a sewer backwater device such as a check valve or gate valve installed. Keep in mind that waste and storm drainage cannot flow through while this valve is closed, which may make it less desirable for installation in large commercial buildings.

If you own commercial property in a region that frequently experiences sewer backups due to rain water, the best option may be an endorsement on a business property insurance policy. This coverage can help to offset the cost of professional cleaning and restoration after a sewer backup in Gladstone, MO.