Sewer backup in Vancouver: what to do and who pays

What should you do first when sewage backs up?

Stop running water. Every flush, shower and load of laundry adds to what is coming up through the lowest drain in the house. Then work through this list:

1. Stop using toilets, taps, the dishwasher and the washing machine.
2. Keep children and pets out of the area, and don’t touch the water with bare hands.
3. Stay out of the water if it is near outlets, the electrical panel or the furnace.
4. Check how many fixtures are affected. One slow toilet is usually a clog near that toilet. Several drains backing up at once, or water rising from a basement floor drain, points to the main line.
5. Call a plumber, or your city if the signs point to its side of the line. The sections below cover who to call in each city.
6. Take photos before you clean up, in case you make an insurance claim.

Our guide on a basement floor drain backing up explains why the water shows up at the lowest drain first.

Who do you call for a sewer backup in Vancouver?

In Vancouver, call 3-1-1 or a plumber when a toilet, floor drain, shower, tub or sink in the basement is overflowing. For the same problem on a floor above the basement, the City’s guide points you to a plumber. From outside the city, 3-1-1 is reached at 604-873-7000.

The City sets a few conditions before it sends a sewer crew to private property:

• Only the property owner can ask for a crew. A tenant can’t.
• Someone who can approve a possible charge has to be there to let the crew in.
• The crew won’t start until a service agreement is signed. Signing it commits the owner to pay if the blockage turns out to be the owner’s responsibility.
• Tell the 3-1-1 agent if you have a sump or a clean-out, the capped pipe that gives access to the sewer line. Without one, you may have to take out the basement toilet before the crew arrives. City crews don’t remove or reinstall toilets.

On its repair costs page, the City says crews need 2 to 2½ hours on average to clear a backup.

You can also hire a plumber for the whole job. Vancouver authorizes licensed plumbers to clean and clear the full sewer connection from a home to the sewer main. Digging up or repairing the City’s portion is different: only the City or its agents may do that.

Who pays for a sewer backup in Vancouver?

In Vancouver, the cause of the blockage decides who pays. Where the blockage sits doesn’t matter. The City’s repair costs page says its sewer crew looks at what caused the blockage, and that the cause sets who is responsible for the charges.

Two details on that page catch owners out:

• If the crew can’t find a cause, the City assumes the blockage came from something the homeowner put down the drain.
• The owner is responsible for whatever is discharged into the sewer line, all the way from the building into the City’s main.

The City lists three typical causes: objects that end up in the private plumbing, tree roots growing into the pipe, and a collapsed pipe. The page doesn’t spell out who pays in each case, so ask the crew what they found and get it in writing.

City fees depend on the time of day and how long the call takes, with a two-hour minimum overnight, on weekends and on statutory holidays. The fees change, so check the City’s table for the current ones.

Who pays for a sewer backup in Surrey?

In Surrey, the location of the blockage usually decides who pays. For gravity systems with an inspection chamber, the City of Surrey says the pipe on City property is its responsibility and the pipe on private property is the owner’s.

If you have a backup in Surrey, the City asks you to call 604-591-4152. Its property damage page lists 604-591-4431 for after 4:30pm and weekends. Here is how Surrey handles the call:

• If staff can reach the inspection chamber and the blockage is on the City side, they clear it at no cost to the owner.
• If the problem is on the private side, the owner pays all costs.
• If only one toilet or sink is acting up and the rest of the house is fine, Surrey says not to call. That is most likely a private plumbing problem.

Older properties without an inspection chamber are harder. Surrey puts the burden of proof on the owner: a plumber has to show a City representative on site, by camera, that the blockage is on City property. Surrey also says it won’t reimburse work done on the City side without City staff present. In practice, phone the City before anyone clears pipe past your property line.

If the backup damaged your home, Surrey says the City Clerk must receive a Notice of Claim within two months of the date of loss.

Who do you call for a sewer backup in Burnaby?

In Burnaby, start on your own side. The City of Burnaby tells owners to try a plunger, then check whether the sewer line is blocked or damaged, which may take a plumber. If the plumber can’t clear the line to the main, call emergency dispatch at 604-294-7200.

If sewage is coming out of the sewer, or the basement is flooding in heavy rain, Burnaby says to call that same number for immediate attention.

What about North Vancouver and other cities?

The City of North Vancouver says it is the homeowner’s job to find out where the blockage is, whether that turns out to be on private or public property. It tells residents to call a plumber to locate it. If the blockage is on City property, contact the Operations Division right away at 604-987-7155 and keep the plumber on site.

Other municipalities in the Lower Mainland set their own rules, so check your city’s website or call its engineering or operations line. Whatever the city, a camera recording of the inside of the pipe is the best evidence you can have. It shows where the blockage is and what caused it. Ask your plumber for a copy.

Does home insurance cover a sewer backup?

Often it doesn’t, unless you added the coverage. The Insurance Bureau of Canada says damage from sewers and drains backing up is typically not covered by a standard home policy, and that most insurers offer sewer backup as optional coverage. Read your policy or ask your broker before you need it.

If you do have a backup, call your insurer early, photograph the damage before cleanup and keep every receipt.

How do you keep a sewer line from backing up again?

Find out why it blocked. Clearing the pipe gets the drains running, but Surrey points out that it is no guarantee the problem won’t return, and that roots cut out of a pipe grow back. A camera inspection shows what is going on inside.

A few habits and upgrades lower the odds:

• Keep grease, wipes, paper towels and cat litter out of drains and toilets. All four are on Vancouver’s list of common causes of sewer backups, next to tree roots and misaligned joints.
• Have the line inspected by camera now and then. Metro Vancouver recommends at least once a decade.
• Add an outside clean-out if you don’t have one. Vancouver calls it the most convenient way into a sewer connection.
• Ask about a backwater valve. The Insurance Bureau of Canada suggests installing one as recommended by your municipality.

Our guide on tree roots in a sewer line covers the most stubborn cause in more detail.

When to call a plumber

Call a plumber when:

• More than one drain is backing up, or water is rising from a floor drain or basement toilet.
• The backup came back after the line was cleared.
• Your city has asked you to show where the blockage is.
• You want the line checked by camera before you make a claim or plan a repair.

DrainX clears blocked main lines and sewer backups at any hour and can put a camera down the line to find the cause. When you call, tell us which city you’re in, which fixtures are affected and whether you have a clean-out.