What Causes a Sewer Backup?
MSD’s public sewer system serves 800,000 homes, businesses, and institutions throughout Hamilton County. The collection system includes more than 3,000 miles of sewer pipe, some of it more than 100 years old.
On a typical dry weather day, wastewater from our
homes, schools and businesses flows through MSD’s public sewers
without problem. However, during wet weather, some parts of the sewer
system carry large amounts of rainwater in addition to wastewater. If
the combined amount of rainwater and wastewater is more than the pipes
can handle, the water stops flowing forward and begins to back up. Excess
water may get pushed out of the pipe through manhole lids and through
private lateral drains that connect buildings to the sewer system. When
this happens, basements and lower levels get flooded with the sewage/rainwater
mixture.
