Inside city limits, the city runs the sewer your house connects to, and the lateral is the private pipe between the house and that line. A backup can start in either one, so find out which before anything is cleaned up. Ask the city to check the main, photograph the damage, and keep people and pets out of the water.
Key takeaways
- Inside the city limits the City of Springfield runs the sewer system, and the lateral is the private pipe between your house and that system.
- A backup seen in several houses on the same block points toward the main, while one confined to a single house points toward the lateral or the drain inside it.
- Older parts of town have a combined sewer that carries both sewage and stormwater, which is why a heavy rain and a basement backup can arrive together.
- Outside city limits most homes run a private well and a household sewage treatment system, and a septic backup is handled through the county health district.
- Clearing or replacing a lateral is plumbing work, permitted and inspected through the county plumbing program rather than handled as cleanup.
- A standard homeowners policy generally does not cover sewer and drain backup, so check your policy and photograph everything before it is moved.
Is a sewer backup the city's problem or mine?
The split depends on where the blockage is, and that is the question to settle first. The city is the party to confirm where its responsibility stops. Until the location is known, do not assume either side.
Inside city limits, the City of Springfield supplies water, sewer and stormwater service, and it runs a collection system of more than 229 miles of underground pipe. Your house connects to that system through a private lateral, the line that runs from the building to the public sewer. When water comes up through a floor drain or a basement fixture, the cause could sit in either section of pipe, and the water looks the same from the basement.
Ask the city to check the main before anyone cleans up, and describe what you see: which drains are affected, whether toilets are gurgling, and whether neighbors have reported the same thing. If you are in the city and want to see how the system is laid out, start with the Springfield service page and the city's utilities pages. Keep the backup in place until the city has looked, unless the water is a safety hazard.
How do I tell whether the blockage is in the main or the lateral?
A backup that appears in several houses on the same block points toward the main. A backup confined to one house usually points toward the lateral or the drains inside the building. Only an inspection can confirm which.
Look at the pattern before you look at the pipe. If the neighbors on your street are dealing with the same problem during the same storm, the shared line is the likely cause, and the city needs to hear about it from more than one house. If only your basement floor drain backs up while the rest of the house drains normally, the problem is more likely between your house and the main, or in the drain itself.
Note the times and the weather. A backup that starts during or right after a long, heavy rain fits the pattern of a combined sewer under load, and that is worth telling the city. Write down which fixtures were affected, in what order, and whether the water rose or simply stood. Those details help whoever inspects the line decide where to look first.
What does a combined sewer have to do with my basement?
Older parts of Springfield run a combined sewer that carries sewage and stormwater in the same pipe. When rain pours in faster than the pipe can carry it, the overflow can back up into the lowest openings in a house. The basement floor drain is often the first place it shows.
The City of Springfield's long-term control plan, filed with Ohio EPA under its NPDES permit, describes the combined sewer system and the work planned to reduce overflows. The city has said that work runs to more than $250 million over 25 years, with sewer rates rising to pay for it. That is the city's own figure, and it describes the scale of the problem rather than what any single house will see.
For a homeowner, the practical point is timing. A basement that stays dry through ordinary rain can still take water in a long, intense storm. If your house sits in an older part of town, read the basement flooding guide for Clark County before the next storm season, and consider the floor drain backup cleanup service in advance so you know who to call.
What if I am outside the city limits?
Outside the city limits, most homes run on a private well and a household sewage treatment system rather than city sewer. A backup in those houses is usually a septic problem, and the repair belongs to a registered septic service provider. The county health district that covers the house sets the rules.
In Clark County, the Clark County Combined Health District permits and inspects household sewage treatment systems and private water systems, and it registers sewage-system installers, septage haulers and service providers. Pumping, repairing and replacing a septic system are that registered trade's work, not cleanup work. If you are unsure which district covers your address, check the county first, because the rules change at the county line.
Outside Clark County, the rule is the health district or building department where the house is. Greene County Public Health has its own plumbing regulations, and the Greene County townships, Champaign County, Montgomery County and Madison County each run their own system. For wells and septic in the townships, read the septic and well guide for the Clark County townships before you call anyone.
Who does the repair, and who needs to sign off?
Repairing a lateral or clearing a blocked sewer line is plumbing work. In Clark County, plumbing is permitted and inspected through the county health district's program, not the city building department. The cleanup crew handles the water and the damage, and it does not do the pipe work.
Plumbing is a licensed trade in Ohio. The state licensing board covers commercial plumbing contractors, and residential work is handled locally. Ask any company which license or registration it holds, and check that license with the office that issued it. Registration and a bond are required for plumbing in Clark County, and the current requirements and forms are on the Clark County Combined Health District's plumbing page. The district's plumbing inspection line is 937-390-5600.
Ask the plumber who will pull the permit, when the inspection is scheduled, and whether the repair will be done before the wet area is closed up. The cleanup crew can sequence its drying and cleanup around that inspection, but it does not replace the plumber or sign off on the pipe. Keep the plumber's invoice and the permit paperwork with your insurance file.
What should I document before anything is cleaned up?
Photograph everything before it is moved, stop the water if you can do so safely, and keep people and pets out of the affected area. Sewage backup is treated as contaminated water, so do not wade in it or let children play in it. The photographs are the record your insurer will ask for first.
Under the ANSI/IICRC S500 water damage standard, sewer and septic backups are Category 3, the most involved category of water. That means the water, the materials it touched and the cleanup all need to be handled with more care than clean water. Stay out of standing water near outlets, the furnace or the electrical panel, and shut off power to the affected area at the panel if it is safe to reach. Do not run a wet-vac through the water until the area is safe.
Before any drying or cleanup begins, take wide and close photographs of every affected area, the water line on the walls, and the drain or fixture where the water came up. Keep the photos with their dates. Older houses here may have asbestos in pipe insulation, old floor tile or textured ceilings, and older paint can contain lead, so check with Ohio EPA and your county health district before any demolition. When you call Springfield Water Damage Restoration at (833) 490-5225, phones are answered 24/7 and a crew is dispatched as soon as one is available, and the crew can give you moisture readings and photos for the claim.
Does insurance cover a sewer or drain backup?
A standard homeowners policy generally does not cover sewer and drain backup, and it usually needs an added endorsement. The Ohio Department of Insurance lists water damage from a sewer backup among the typical homeowners exclusions. Check your own policy and ask your agent how it treats this.
A homeowners policy generally responds to sudden and accidental water damage, such as a burst supply line. It generally does not cover gradual leaks or flood, and flood is a separate policy, through the National Flood Insurance Program or a private insurer. Sewer backup is the case most people are surprised by, which is why the endorsement question is worth asking before the next storm rather than after it. Do not assume a claim will be paid. Coverage is your insurer's decision under your own policy.
Call your insurer early and describe the backup as you saw it. The crew can document the damage for your claim, but it cannot bill your insurer or decide what your policy covers. If you have a complaint about how a claim is handled, the Ohio Department of Insurance takes consumer complaints online and at 800-686-1526.
Frequently asked questions
Who pays for a sewer backup in Springfield?
The answer depends on where the blockage is. Inside city limits, the City of Springfield runs the sewer system and the private lateral is the line between your house and that system. Whether a repair falls to you or the city is something to confirm with the city once the location is known. Your insurer decides what your own policy covers.
Is the sewer line from my house my responsibility?
The lateral is the private pipe that runs from the house to the public sewer, so it is generally the homeowner's pipe to maintain. Repairing or clearing it is plumbing work that needs a permit through the county plumbing program in Clark County. Ask the city to check the main first, because a backup in several houses points elsewhere. A plumber can confirm the lateral's condition once the main is cleared.
Should I clean up the sewage myself?
Sewer backup is Category 3 water under the ANSI/IICRC S500 standard, which means it needs more care than clean water. Keep children and pets out of the area, and avoid standing water near outlets or the electrical panel. Photograph the damage before anything is removed. A cleanup crew can handle the removal and drying, and it can document the work for your insurer.
Does a floor drain backup count as a sewer backup?
A floor drain backup and a sewer backup can be the same event, because a floor drain is often the lowest opening where sewer water surfaces. In a combined-sewer part of town, a heavy rain can push water up through the drain. Whether the problem is the main, the lateral or the drain itself has to be checked. The cleanup is the same either way, but the repair and the insurance question may differ.
Do I need a permit to fix my lateral in Clark County?
Yes. Plumbing in Clark County runs through the Clark County Combined Health District, not the city or county building department. Registration, plan review, permits and inspections are handled through the district's program, and the current requirements and forms are on its plumbing page. The plumbing inspection line is 937-390-5600. Confirm that your plumber is registered before any work begins.
Will the crew give me photos and readings for my insurer?
The crew can give you moisture readings and photographs of the damage to use in your claim. It uses moisture meters and thermal imaging to find hidden moisture, and it records the readings as drying progresses. The crew cannot bill your insurer or decide your coverage. Your policy and your insurer decide what is paid.
Sources
- City of Springfield, Ohio (utilities)
- Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
- Ohio Department of Health
- Ohio Department of Insurance
- Ohio Department of Commerce
This guide is general information for Clark County homeowners, not a substitute for an on-site inspection. Prices are estimates. See our disclaimer.