Description

Floods can be devastating, destructive and expensive. As many Boston residents know, major storms can cause overland flooding and sewage backups into homes or businesses in low-lying areas. Overland flooding cannot always be prevented, however, sewage backups can if your home or business is properly equipped with a backwater valve. 

The Problem

In low lying areas some basement level plumbing fixtures may be set at a lower elevation than the crown, or top, of the sewer in the street. In those cases, a sewage or drainage backup can occur, particularly under extreme wet weather events when storm water infiltrates the sewer from a downspout or yard-drain connection and creates high flow conditions. If a plumbing fixture in the basement lies above the crown of the sewer in the street, the risk of a backup is lessened, but still exists.

How a Backwater Valve can Help

While overland flooding cannot always be prevented, a backwater valve can prevent or significantly reduce sewage backups into homes and businesses in low-lying areas. A backwater valve, as the illustrations show, is a fixture put on a sewer line, and sometimes a drain line, in the basement of your home or building foundation to prevent sewer backflows. A properly installed backwater valve works on a one-way system; sewage can go out, but not back in. 

State Regulations

The Uniform State Plumbing Code of Massachusetts requires backwater valves for all buildings containing plumbing fixtures located below the top of the manhole for the sewer serving that building. Property owners are responsible for the installation and maintenance of backwater valves. The cost to install a backwater valve varies depending on the configuration of the internal plumbing in a building and the difficulty of installation. BWSC recommends that property owners obtain three written estimates from licensed plumbers. 

Benefits

To ensure your home or business is protected from sewage backups, install a backwater valve. The one-time investment may save your personal property from devastation, eliminate any unnecessary damage costs (which can reach the thousands in dollar amounts) and give you peace of mind about the security of your sewer system. Protect your property from a potential sewer backup and install a backwater valve. For more information on how to obtain and install a backwater valve, BWSC recommends that you contact a licensed plumber.