What to do in case of a sewerage break: who is to blame, where to go

Sewer break: what to do
If a sewer pipe breaks in a multi-storey residential building, or inside an apartment, it will not be easy to eliminate the consequences.

This will take time and will require financial investments. A sewer break can occur in every home.

If an emergency situation occurs in a country house, then the matter is simplified by the fact that the neighbors will not flood; small financial investments will be required, as in a city house. Here it is important to identify those responsible for what happened and find out why the pipe burst.

Causes

Any sewerage accident means the appearance of holes or fistulas in the pipe. Please note that this process is very slow. The drainage system is gravity-fed; liquids in it do not move under pressure. If a sewer system bursts in a house, it means that no one was seriously concerned about the condition of the pipelines. Pipes cannot collapse without reason. Before the pipeline ruptures, a small leak appears, which gradually increases in size. If plastic pipes are used, the cause may be separation of the joint area. This is possible if the bell is under load. Cast iron elements withstand external loads well, but a sharp blow can destroy both the socket and the body of the pipe itself. in any case, if there was a pipe break, the sewer system was poorly maintained or operated incorrectly.

Where to call if a pipe burst in your apartment

It's easy to get confused in a situation like this, but pull yourself together and follow the instructions:

1. If the leak is serious and you cannot deal with it yourself, call a plumber. It’s optimal if you dial the service’s phone number and another family member is trying to close the leak.
2. The trouble happened during working hours, dial the telephone number of the housing department, or a plumber who is on the staff of this organization.
3. If the leak occurs over the weekend or at night, call emergency services.

The numbers of the necessary emergency services should always be at hand so as not to waste time calling the helpline.

What to do

If a sewer breaks, who to call and what to do? The question is not idle, since the contents of the pipes begin to flow into the apartment or basement. Moreover, in a residential area you can quickly detect a problem. In the basement, a leak sometimes persists for weeks until the foul odor forces residents on the lower floors to take action. Situations like this usually take people by surprise. They don’t know where to call, who to turn to for help, what to do.

First of all, you need to figure out where exactly the problem area is. The horizontal supply in the basement and the riser are considered common property and are maintained by the management company. The horizontal part of the apartment sewer system (outlet from the riser) is the property of the apartment owner. This does not mean that the locksmith from the management company will refuse to repair it, but you will have to pay. Restoration of the riser and basement wiring is carried out by them free of charge, as part of their work duties. That is, if problems arise in the apartment or the sewerage system in the basement bursts, it is now clear where to turn - to the Criminal Code.

However, not all so simple. Troubles often happen at the most undesirable moments. For example, on holidays or weekends. In these cases, there is no point in contacting the management company, since there is simply no one there. Who should you call if your basement sewer breaks on a weekend? There is only one answer - to the Vodokanal emergency service. This organization operates 24/7, so you can turn to it in critical situations. True, specialists from Vodokanal will not replace the management company. Usually, they come, turn off the water, and leave. The issue has been temporarily resolved; as soon as business days arrive, full-scale repairs will be carried out by employees of the management company. It is also necessary to notify all residents of the entrance about the problem that has arisen, since they may unknowingly turn the whole situation around.

In some situations, it is possible to solve the problem yourself. If you have problems with the apartment riser, you can install a cuff or install a temporary clamp with a rubber gasket. The sewerage system is a gravity flow system, the drains are not under pressure. It is enough to simply plug any fistula so that the leakage process stops.

Also read: Sewage: treatment system, types, methods

Can I fix the source of the problem myself?

In the event of lengthy correspondence or arguments with the management company or regulatory organizations, residents decide to get rid of the problem on their own. But in this case you need to act responsibly, carefully, and competently.

Any work related to the engineering systems of an apartment building should be performed by professionals .

If those in charge are in no hurry to carry out work to eliminate the stench, and it is no longer possible to endure the inconvenience, a safe option is to invite specialists from a private company in the relevant field of activity.

Its services will be paid, but it will still be possible to quickly eliminate the problem of living in the house with a disk.

System breakdown in a private home

If there is a sewerage break in a private house, what should its owner do? The answer is simple - do repairs and eliminate the consequences. Only homeowners are responsible for the condition of sewerage in the private sector. If an autonomous system is assembled on the site, all repair work falls entirely on the shoulders of the residents of the house. If there is a tie-in to a public highway, then some assistance from Vodokanal employees is possible. Perhaps the cause of the accident lies in a common pipe. For example, there was a clog that caused the drains to fill and burst the pipe. However, you should not count on reimbursement of expenses or free elimination of consequences by VK employees. It is necessary to take into account that blockages occur due to illiterate operation of networks, which will be proven in court.

For private home owners, repairing and eliminating the consequences of an accident are not significant problems. Firstly, the number of drains is relatively small. In addition, there is always the opportunity to temporarily stop using the sewer system, without having to run around to negotiate with neighbors. Any repair of pipelines and connections can be carried out without restrictions. This makes restoring the system state a less hassle-free procedure. Even treating a basement after flooding with sewerage is not such a complicated and time-consuming operation, since the area of ​​the room and the volume of wastewater are relatively small.

Where to go for help?

According to the law, the management company or other organization servicing the house is responsible for the condition of the basement.
These structures should be contacted if an odor is detected in the basement. Workers are required to quickly respond to the call, eliminate the cause of the breakthrough, clean the premises, and do not forget to replace leaking pipes.

Also, at the end of the work, disinfection after a breakthrough.

• The first step is to contact the company responsible for the home. At first you can just call, even several times. If there is no response, you should go personally to the reception office of the Criminal Code or Housing Office and write a complaint. A sample complaint document must be provided on site. Complaints must be registered; this may be useful in court proceedings due to a leak in the basement. You can also send your appeal by mail, registered mail with registration.
• A written complaint usually elicits a quick response. A team of craftsmen arrives on site to eliminate the odor and the cause of its occurrence.
• If employees of the housing and communal services or management company refuse to solve the problem, you need to go further - to the housing inspectorate or any other city regulatory body.
• A universal option that can be used if the management company is passive is Rospotrebnadzor . This organization also accepts written complaints and registers them.

ATTENTION! Lawyers recommend filing an individual complaint; it will be considered faster. Collective appeals require longer consideration.

A written appeal regarding problems with sewerage must be written in business language , accurately indicating all the facts. The address, time of occurrence of the stench, and other data are indicated.

The complaint indicates where the appeal has already been sent and which company has not responded to the information.

Elimination of consequences

A sewer break can create various problems:

• drainage from the upper floors entering the apartment. For residents of the lower floors of multi-story buildings, this can be a very sensitive problem;
• basement flooding. In this case, trouble will affect all residents of the entrance, as the bad smell will spread to the upper floors.

If in the first case it will be necessary to eliminate the leak and thoroughly clean the room, then the second problem is much more complicated. Sewage gases, spreading from the basement to the entrance, can cause serious harm to human health. This especially applies to allergy sufferers, the elderly, and children.

A whole range of work will need to be completed:

• pumping out spilled liquid. Here you will have to use sewage disposal equipment;
• cleaning the room from organic residues;
• disinfection of the basement after a sewer break.

Pumping out drains is one of the fastest procedures. It can be completed in a couple of hours (depending on the volume of spilled sewage). To solve the problem, use powerful mud pumps installed on a vehicle with a tank. As the tank fills, the liquid is removed, drained and pumping begins again.

Cleaning the basement is the most unpleasant, but necessary procedure. After pumping out the water, a lot of organic matter and other pipe contents will remain on the floor. If it is not removed, rotting processes will begin and insects and rodents will appear. This cannot be allowed, especially since existing sanitary standards require keeping basements and basements clean.

The last operation is disinfection. This is the treatment of basement surfaces with special means to disinfect the room. Sewage can contain pathogens of any disease, insect larvae, and other unwanted microorganisms. Of all the procedures that a sewer break requires, disinfection is the most important and responsible. Prevention of infectious diseases or the spread of insects is a priority that cannot be abandoned.

Sewer maintenance

It is important to carry out maintenance of water supply and sewerage systems. These measures will prevent the appearance of unpleasant odors, blockages and flooding.

Maintenance of sewerage and water supply systems is carried out for the following elements:

• Input of water meter unit.
• Pump equipment.
• Water riser.
• Mixing fittings.
• Shaped elements.
• Plumbing fixtures.
• Water fittings.
• Internal sewerage.

Maintenance consists of a set of measures aimed at ensuring the effective operation of communications.

Maintenance activities:

1. Daily monitoring of drinking water consumption.
2. Drawing up a balance of water consumption and disposal.
3. Carrying out emergency work.
4. Elimination of existing blockages in water supply and sewerage systems.
5. Repairing leaks in pipes.
6. Control over sewer hoods.
7. Monitoring and cleaning of the drainage system.
8. Replacement of damaged parts.
9. Scheduled annual inspection of the sewer system and elimination of detected problems.

Maintenance of sewerage systems is carried out by the Housing Office. These activities are within their competence.

Search for the culprits

As for the reasons that could cause an emergency, there may be several of them

If a sewer pipe bursts in a private house, then there is no point in looking for who is to blame, because only you are responsible for the installation and operation of your sewer system. The same can be said about the pipes running through your site.

A completely different matter is a sewerage break in an apartment in an apartment building. If an accident occurs with a pipeline running in an apartment, then only the owner of the home is to blame. If the sewerage system breaks in the basement or in a common riser, then the housing office is responsible for these networks.

As for the reasons that could cause the emergency, there may be several of them:

• In order for a sewer pipe to burst in a basement or apartment, cracks and holes must form in the pipe, which will be small at first, but gradually this process will affect neighboring areas, causing weakening of the walls of the pipeline. Thus, it becomes clear that this is not a momentary process. Typically, cracks and holes are caused by pipe deformation or rust. As a result, the contents of the pipes begin to flow out through the holes and cause flooding of the apartment or basement. Moreover, this process will be accompanied by an unpleasant odor.
• Often a breakthrough can be caused by the use of low-quality pipes or disruptions during their installation. Therefore, the sewage system in the apartment should be done by professionals so that you do not have big problems in the future.
• If cast iron pipes were used to drain the sewer system in a basement or apartment, the sealing gaskets may wear out over time. In principle, this happens with old sewer systems that have not been changed or repaired for a long time.

Who owns the sewer riser

Attention! Initially, we find out who is the owner of the pipeline responsible for the sewerage system. To do this, you need to study the legislation of the Russian Federation currently in force. The Housing Code of the Russian Federation establishes that the pipeline for hot and cold water supply is part of the common property.

Now it’s worth understanding what common property is. Rules for the maintenance of common property of owners and housing complexes of the Russian Federation determine the composition of common property. And it consists of premises owned by local governments and state authorities, but nothing is said about the pipeline responsible for the sewerage system.

Paragraph 5 of the Government of the Russian Federation of May 6 No. 354 will help resolve the dispute on this issue, which explains that the common property includes an engineering system responsible for drainage, which is located inside an apartment building and consists of shaped parts and sewage outlets (crossings, tees, branch pipes, bends and transitions), as well as plugs, drain funnels, risers, exhaust pipes, parts of pipes located between the risers and butt joints, and second equipment located in the system.

Drawing a conclusion from the above, we can say that sewer risers are the common property of an apartment building.

What to do if your apartment is flooded due to a broken pipeline

The first thing to do in the event of an apartment flooding due to a pipe break is to take a photo or video recording of the consequences. This is done so that during the trial it is possible to compensate for damage, in case the management office does not want to compensate for the costs of repairs.

To file a claim, you will need to collect a number of documents by contacting the service organization.

There are two ways to invite representatives of housing and communal services:

• call the condominium association or housing cooperative and invite a representative who would inspect the fact of flooding and draw up a report;
• go to such an organization yourself, leave a statement addressed to the head of the office with a description of the situation and a requirement to draw up a report on the fact of the flooding.

So, in response to the application, a commission consisting of a site foreman, a plumber, the chief engineer of the housing office and a representative of the organization managing the house should come to you, inspect the apartment and draw up an appropriate report.

The document must contain the following information:

• an accurate and detailed description of the incident with probable causes;
• date of inspection of the apartment;
• the address of the place where the flood report was drawn up;
• legibly - the names and positions of the people who drew up and signed the act;
• a list of damaged property (defect sheet), which indicates the nature of the damage caused and its possible causes;
• other probable consequences hidden from view at the time of inspection - in particular, damage to floor coverings as a result of water seeping into cracks.

Such a detailed document should be in the hands of the homeowner until the issue of compensation for damage is finally resolved.

If there is still a need for legal proceedings, prepare the following package of documents:

• lawsuit;
• a copy of the document on ownership or lease of property;
• report of a flood in the apartment;
• cost assessment of damage;
• estimate documentation for repair work;
• document confirming payment of the court fee.

Thus, if you still didn’t know where to call if a pipe burst, now you have all the information. However, in order to avoid emergency situations and unforeseen expenses, the condition of batteries and risers should be regularly inspected so that defects can be eliminated in advance. By being careless in this matter, you risk wasting not only time and nerves, but also quite a lot of money.

How to force housing and communal services to clear leaking sewerage from basements

The Grodno ZhES flooded the basement of a residential high-rise building with sewage and did not clean it up for three weeks; Residents of the house told how they found control over the utility workers.

GRODNO, August 6 – Sputnik, Inna Grishuk.

A resident of Belye Rosy Street in Grodno decided to talk about the work of her native housing and communal services, due to the fault of whose employees, the basement of one of the entrances was flooded with sewage. People breathed in sewage odors for three weeks, until their patience ran out and they decided to contact journalists and the sanitation station.

Flooded and forgotten

“Three weeks ago, housing and communal services workers were cleaning the sewer, and when they finished, they forgot to put a cap on it. Through this hole, all the drainage from the riser began to flow into the basement,” says Tatyana Kalach, a resident of apartment 90 on Belye Rosy Street, 19.

According to her, when the basement was filled with sewage, employees of ZhES No. 24 arrived, found out the cause of the flood, fixed the leak, and put a plug on the pipe. But then they left, leaving the “fragrant” pool in the basement.

There are storage rooms in the basement; people come down here quite often. But for almost a month now, Tatyana and other residents in the basement have been forced to walk only in rubber boots wrapped with plastic bags on top.

“This is so that there is no smell later. I threw away the package, but the boots remained clean,” the woman explained.

Waiting for more than two weeks

She showed the basement storage room and the very pipe from which the disaster began and which they forgot to put a cap on. For three weeks it was possible to get into it only along the flooring made of boards. The floor along the shelves with seams is covered with black slurry, and the entire basement has the characteristic smell of sewage.

“The housing department reported our problem a long time ago, they promised to come last week. But more time passed and no one came. During the day, when it’s hot, you can suffocate here, and swarms of insects fly around,” the woman said.

At first, the residents were sure that the flood would be eliminated the next day or every other day - after all, this was a violation of sanitary standards. They were waiting for an emergency vehicle to arrive and pump out the sewage that had spilled into the basement. But the housing services workers said: there won’t be a car, they will come themselves and scoop everything out with buckets and shovels.

“You can see for yourself that nothing happened, the housing and communal services workers did not appear here for more than two weeks, the basement was filled with dirt, stench and unsanitary conditions,” says Tatyana.

Over the course of three weeks, the water, which stood at a level of 20 centimeters, disappeared, partially absorbed into the floor, and partially evaporated. Residents suspect that the housing and communal services employees were holding out so that everything would dry completely - then they wouldn’t have to take out the dirty water.

Who is responsible for cleaning up the consequences of flooding in the basement?

According to the law, the employees of the operating organization, and in this case, the Grodno ZhES No. 24, must clean up the consequences of the flood. This is provided for by the Sanitary norms, rules and hygienic standards “Hygienic requirements for the design, equipment and maintenance of residential buildings.”

According to the document (paragraphs 32-34), the presence of water, garbage, and sewage is not allowed in basements. If an accident occurs in the sewer networks in the form of a leak or flooding, it must be repaired within 24 hours. The deadlines for eliminating the consequences of the accident have also been established - within 24 hours the water must be removed from the basement, and the flooded room must be disinfected and ventilated.

If housing services workers refuse to clean up the consequences of an accident in the basement, residents have the right to submit a written appeal to the zonal Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology.

Cleaned up in three hours

Tatyana Kalach did not wait for the operating organization to get ready to clean up. She turned to the Sputnik journalist and the health station.

“It worked instantly. The housing services worker arrived immediately, cleaned everything up in three hours, and sprinkled bleach on the floor,” Tatyana shared her joyful outcome.

Who to contact if there is a water supply failure

The plumbing system provides water to our home. Thanks to it, we no longer need to go to the well with buckets; now, simply by opening the tap, we can get the required amount of liquid. However, this convenience also comes with some problems. For example, if a water pipe breaks, the water escaping from the system can not only ruin your property, but also harm your neighbors below.

If a pipe bursts, you should call the housing office

Who to call if your sewer breaks:

1. We need to assess the size of the problem. If you live in a private house and the situation is serious, then you need to call plumbers who will do everything to fix the problem.
2. It's good if this happened during working hours. In this case, you can contact the Housing Office. You can find the phone number on the Internet or on the doors at the entrance. And the housing office should provide the telephone number of the plumbers.
3. It's worse if the trouble happened at night. In this case, you will have to call the water utility emergency service.

You can also call a plumber you know whose phone number you have. However, in this case, you will definitely have to pay for the repairs yourself.

Prevention is always better!

Such situations do not occur immediately; this, as a rule, is the fruit of a long, gradual destruction of the pipe, so the emergency sewer can be repaired in time. Such situations can always be avoided by promptly inspecting the sewer and water pipes of your apartment for:

• cracks;
• even minor leaks;
• suspicious spots;
• rust.

If during the routine inspection you find anything else that raises your suspicions, no matter what it is, call a plumber immediately. After all, it is much easier to prevent trouble than to eliminate its consequences by calling an emergency sewer at two in the morning.

Repairing a damaged section of pipe by a professional plumber will cost much less than restoring the sewer system, cleaning and disinfecting the apartment, and paying for the neighbor’s repairs. Do you need all this?

If you live in Moscow, or the Moscow region, then, having discovered a potentially dangerous section of pipe, so as not to ask yourself the question “my sewer has burst, who should I call?”, do not wait and immediately call the “Plumbers Service” by phone +7 (495) 320-06-60. Remember that time is working against you. After all, by delaying repairs, you increase the chances that you will soon have to perform emergency sewer repairs, which, whatever one may say, will cost much more.

Smell from the basement of a multi-story building

Oddly enough, unpleasant odors can occur both in old basements and in the basements of fairly new houses and new buildings. Not only the residents of the first floors suffer from this, but also the entire entrance, because the smell gradually rises up the landing (since the air from the basement is usually warm), penetrating the ventilation system and residents' apartments.

The appearance of an unpleasant odor in the apartment may be due to:

• Flooding of the basement with groundwater.
• A break or violation of the integrity of the sewer pipe (as a result of which the house’s waste began to accumulate in the basement).
• Water leakage as a result of damage to water pipes with further formation of mold and fungi.
• The presence of a large amount of biological material that can spread an unpleasant odor (excrement, corpses of animals, rodents, etc.). Often such problems are observed in the spring.

The main reason for the unpleasant odor is dampness and faulty communications.

In addition to the above reasons, unpleasant odors often arise during the operation of cast iron pipes and risers. Cast iron pipes develop cracks or fistulas over time. As a rule, they are simply walled up with cement. As a result, it is not always possible to detect pipe damage in time. Therefore, sometimes an unpleasant smell in an apartment has nothing to do with the basement.

When is repair needed and when is replacement needed?

The sewer riser can be cast iron (in old houses) or plastic. Cast iron pipes are by far the most dangerous. Imagine how many years this sewer system has been standing! Naturally, the cast iron has already rusted in some places and is leaking.

Plumbers don't even want to repair cast iron drains. Just change it! And it is right. I replaced it with new plastic and forgot about it. But cases are different. Today there is no money for replacement, there is not enough time. For now we'll make do with the repairs. If

• a crack has formed on the pipe and water is oozing from it;
• a leak appeared at the junction of the riser with the tee, coupling, adapter, and crosspiece;
• the sewer pipe is broken or rotted in some place.

Replacement is the only salvation if the riser has collapsed.