If you see a sewage spill occurring NOTIFY US IMMEDIATELY by calling our office at (909) 584-4018.
Sewer spills occur when the wastewater being transported via underground pipes overflows through a manhole, cleanout, or broken pipe. Sewage spills can cause health hazards, damage to homes and businesses, and threaten the environment and local waterways. Common causes of sewage spills are:
- Grease builds up inside and eventually blocks sewer pipes. Grease gets into the sewer from food establishments, household drains, as well as from poorly maintained commercial grease traps and interceptors.
- Structure problems caused by tree roots in the lines, broken/cracked pipes, missing or broken cleanout caps or undersized sewers can cause blockages.
- Infiltration and inflow (I/I) impacts the pipe capacity and is caused when groundwater or rainwater enters the sewer system through pipe defects and illegal connections.
Sewage spills can be very noticeable: gushing of water from a manhole or a slow water leak that may take time to be noticed. Don’t dismiss unaccounted for wet areas.
Look for:
- drain backups inside a building;
- wet ground and water leaking around manhole lids onto your street;
- leaking water from cleanouts or outside drains; or
- unusual odorous wet areas such as sidewalks, external walls, or ground/landscape around a building.
Once you have identified a sewage spill, keep people and pets away from the area. Untreated sewage has high levels of disease causing viruses and bacteria.
If you do not have a sewage spill, but would like to report an odor, please complete the Report an Odor form: