Tips on how to deal with sewage water in your basement
Do you live in one of the older neighbourhoods? Check if sewage water is entering your basement. The level of sewage water particularly rises during heavy rainfall causing it to enter your home.
How can you recognise a sewage water problem?
A sewage water problem can be recognised by:
- a sewage odour in your home
- bubbling and gurgling sounds in a toilet and/or shower drains
- toilets and sinks which do not drain properly
- a layer of water in the crawl space or (semi-)basement
Cause
The most common causes of sewage water in your basement are:
- Your home’s connection to the sewer system has been installed in a too low spot. Or the connection of a toilet, sink or other drainage system is lower than the street level. In this case you should install a pump or sewer backflow valve to prevent sewage water from entering your home. This might happen in the event of heavy rainfall.
- Rainwater and wastewater are carried off with the same drainage system (dirty water from, for example, a toilet or shower).
What measures can you take?
You can solve the problem by taking the following measures:
- Move your home’s public sewage system to a higher place. The correct height is 50 cm below street level..
- Separate the drainage of wastewater and rainwater. This will increase the drainage capacity of the flow of wastewater.