drowning grass as a result from a broken sewer lineSome surprising things can be signs you have a broken sewer line. You may not think much of suddenly flourishing trees or a bit of mold growth, but both may be signs your sewer in leaking. If you don’t address sewer problems quickly, they turn into expensive replacement jobs and could require extensive clean up. Therefore it’s always wise to be on the look-out for the signs that you have a broken sewer line.

1. You Can Smell the Sewer

Sewer water may smell like whatever you’re washing down your drain, or like rotten eggs or sulfur. If you’re smelling this sewer gas anywhere in your home or on your property, it’s a sign to investigate further. If the sewer leak has been going on for a bit, you may see puddles or water or signs of water damage, which can help you figure out where the leak may be. Your plumber will need to conduct a sewer inspection to be sure though.

2. Backed-up Water

If you have a sewer clog, rather than a leak, you’re more likely to see backed up water. It may or may not smell like sewer water. Most commonly, we find water backed up into bathtubs, but it’s also possible to have water backed up into any sink or fixture. The utility sink, kitchen and bathroom sinks may all collect water from a clogged sewer. If your toilet is getting the backed-up water, it may actually overflow.

3. Your Lawn Looks Great—or the Grass is Drowning

Instead of pouring into your home, excess water from sewer problems may also collect in your front or back yard. Sometimes this creates a big puddle of water that drowns your grass. It’s easy to recognize this as a problem, but sometimes the puddle has the counter-intuitive affect of actually making your lawn look better.

Sewer water may be full of nutrients and in the hot summer months your grass and other plants may flourish with the extra water from the sewer leak. So, be suspicious when a patch of your lawn, a certain tree, or a section of your garden seems to be doing much better than the other plants around it.

Trees that are flourishing are an especially bad sign. If a tree is planted too close to your sewer line it can take advantage of small cracks and break into your sewer, for the nutrients. Or, particularly strong trees can crush the sewer outright.

4. Mold and Mildew

Sometimes sewer lines have smaller leaks that you can’t smell or see, but which steadily increase the humidity in your home. As a result, you may see an increase in mold and mildew growth. Of course, many other things may cause an increase in humidity and mold growth, so it’s important to have a plumber check through other potential causes.

5. Animal Infestation, Especially Rodents

Plants aren’t the only creatures that like the extra water that sewer problems can bring. Animals may seek out your leak as their source of water. When it’s a sewer problem, rodents are especially likely to be drawn to your home. Any animal infestation should be investigated thoroughly, as they can do serious damage to your home over time.

If you’re concerned that you may have a sewer leak, you should reach out to a plumber for a water leak detection as soon as possible. Sewer fixes are much less expensive when they are caught early on. So, when you find yourself needing a sewer line repair in Tracy, Manteca, Modesto, Lathrop, or the surrounding area, be sure to give our plumbing professionals a call.