If sewage or dirty water is coming up in a tub, shower or floor drain, stop all water use in the house right now. Our line is open 24/7, so call while you wait, and do not flush, run the washer or use the dishwasher. Keep children and pets away from the affected room, and stay off wet floors near outlets and appliances.
Sewer backup: what is happening in the pipe
Every drain in the house joins one pipe that runs out to the city main. When that pipe is blocked, wastewater has nowhere to go and rises through the lowest opening, usually a basement or ground-floor tub, shower or floor drain. That is why a stoppage in the main shows up in several fixtures at once, not just one.
Kitchen sinks that fill when the washing machine drains, toilets that bubble when a shower runs, and gurgling from drains are the early signs. We handle these as urgent calls at night and on weekends too, and aim for a same-day visit when schedules allow.
Water in the lowest fixture
The tub or floor drain nearest the ground is the first to back up. If it happens as soon as water runs elsewhere, the main is the problem.
Several fixtures acting up together
A toilet gurgling when the shower drains, or a sink bubbling when the toilet flushes, means air and water are fighting for the same blocked pipe.
Slow drains after a cable job
If drains clear and slow again within weeks, the line may be narrowed by grease or roots that the cable did not remove.
Paper and wipes at the cleanout
If a cleanout is open and full, the blockage sits between it and the main. Wipes sold as flushable are a common cause because they catch on rough pipe and roots.
Sewer smell near the yard
A sour smell outside or a wet patch over the lateral can mean the pipe is backed up or broken. Keep the area clear and tell us when you call.
How we clear a main sewer line
We try to give you flow back quickly, but we also want to know why the line stopped. Clearing without looking is how the same backup returns a month later.
Stop the source and find access
We confirm which fixtures are affected, find the cleanout and set up to protect floors. If there is no cleanout, we find the best alternative entry.
Clear the blockage
A drum machine with the right cutter opens the line, matched to the pipe size and material. For a heavy grease or root problem, we may recommend hydro jetting to scour the walls.
Run the camera
We pass a camera through the cleared section to see the pipe wall. This shows roots, cracks, sags or scale that caused the stoppage.
Explain what we found
You see what the pipe looks like and learn whether it is likely to clog again. If there is damage, we explain the repair options and what each involves.
Flush and test
We run water through the system to confirm that the fixtures drain freely. Cleanup of the work area is part of the job.
Whose pipe is it in Millbrae?
Millbrae's code makes the owner responsible for the sewer lateral on their own lot. The city maintains only the short piece between the cleanout wye and the main, and only when the cleanout is in the designated location, either the sidewalk or within 2.5 feet of the main in a yard. If the blockage is on your side, you are the one who has to clear it.
The code goes further. An owner must clear an obstruction immediately on discovery or notice from the city, and install a temporary trap downstream while clearing or repairing. If a blockage cannot be cleared by the owner or a hired cleaner, it is to be reported to Public Works, and the owner reimburses the city for its costs.
Millbrae specifics when the main backs up
The city owns the sanitary sewer system and the Water Pollution Control Plant that treats its flow, and it shares a deepwater outfall with South San Francisco, San Bruno, Burlingame and the airport. A backup inside your house is not a plant problem. It is almost always a stoppage on the lateral or at the connection to the main.
Because the owner clears the lateral and the code sets a duty to act promptly, there is a practical reason to call a plumber the same day. Waiting can mean damage to floors and a city notice, and the city can bill costs it incurs on a blockage you could not clear.
A cleanout in a sidewalk or within 2.5 feet of the main in a yard is where the city's responsibility begins. If your cleanout is somewhere else, the lateral responsibility may extend further than you assumed. Ask Public Works, and we will note where yours is.
Cleaning methods compared
| Method | Good for | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Hand cable | Small clogs at a single fixture | Often cannot clear a main |
| Drum machine with cutter | Roots and solid blockages in the main | Leaves grease on the wall |
| Hydro jetting | Grease, scale and fine roots | Needs sound pipe |
| Camera after cleaning | Showing why it blocked | Does not clear the line by itself |
What affects the cost of sewer line cleaning
What changes the price of main line cleaning
The cost follows how hard the line is to reach and how severe the blockage is.
Access
A cleanout near the house is faster than entry through a fixture.
Type of blockage
Paper is different from a root mat or hardened grease.
Length of line cleared
A longer lateral takes more time.
Camera follow up
Checking the pipe after cleaning adds to the visit.
Time of day
After-hours and overnight visits are priced differently from daytime slots.
Call the 24/7 line for a clear price before work starts. Some policies cover sewage backup damage and others do not, so ask your insurer.
Backing up in the middle of the night?
Do not wait for morning if sewage is rising. Call the line, tell us which drains are affected and we will explain the next step.
What to do after the line is clear
A clear line is a starting point. If the camera shows a cracked or root-filled section, sewer line repair stops the same backup from returning. If you simply want to know the pipe's condition, a sewer camera inspection is the stand-alone version of that check.
We work across Millbrae and nearby places on our service area page, including Burlingame, so a call from Green Hills or the Millbrae Station area reaches the same dispatch.
Sewer line cleaning questions
Yes. The line is staffed 24/7, and a main sewer backup at night or on a weekend is treated as urgent. We tell you what to shut off while you wait and what we can arrange for your address.
Stop using water in the house, including toilets, showers and the washer. Keep people and pets away from the wet area and from outlets. Do not pour chemical cleaners into a backed-up drain.
Under city code the owner is responsible for the lateral on their own lot. The city maintains only the piece between the cleanout wye and the main, when the cleanout is in the designated location.
Yes. Roots enter joints and cracks and form a mat that catches paper and waste. Clearing cuts them back, but the opening remains, so a camera check and often a repair is the lasting fix.
It restores flow. Whether it lasts depends on why the line blocked, which is why we camera it afterward. Grease and roots return unless the cause is dealt with.
Code expects the owner to clear it promptly, and to report a blockage that you or a hired cleaner cannot clear to Public Works. If we cannot clear it, we will tell you what to do next.
Cleaning opens a path through the blockage with a cutter. Jetting uses high-pressure water to scour the full pipe wall. We choose based on what the camera and the blockage show.
You may look for it, but leave the cap on if sewage is near it, because pressure behind the cap can release suddenly. Tell us where it is and we will take it from there.
Sources and standards: Millbrae Municipal Code chapter 8.20 on sewer laterals. The City of Millbrae Public Works sewer pages. The California Plumbing Code (based on the Uniform Plumbing Code).