Tag: drain

Does your homeowner’s insurance cover sewer backups?

Homeowner’s insurance helps protect your home, but sewer backups are often not covered under a standard policy. A sewer backup can cause serious damage to floors, walls, furniture, and personal belongings, and repairs can be expensive. Reviewing your coverage now, before a problem occurs, is a simple way to avoid an unwelcome surprise.

In most cases, sewer or drain backup coverage is an optional add-on to your homeowner’s insurance. If you are not sure what your current policy includes, the easiest step is to call your insurance agent and ask.

It is also worth knowing the difference between sewer backup coverage and flood insurance. Flood insurance covers water entering your home from outside, such as heavy rain or rising water levels. Sewer backup coverage applies when wastewater comes up through drains or toilets inside the home. They address different situations, and some households may benefit from having both.

You may also want to ask your agent about service line coverage, sometimes called sewer lateral coverage. The sewer lateral is the pipe running from your home to the City’s main sewer line, and homeowners are generally responsible for the portion on their property. Repairs to that pipe can be costly, and some insurers offer this protection as an add-on.

When you speak with your insurance agent, consider asking:

  • Does my policy cover sewer or drain backups?
  • If not, how much does it cost to add?
  • Do I have flood insurance, and how is it different from sewer backup coverage?
  • Is there coverage available for my sewer lateral?

Sewer backups can happen for a variety of reasons, including heavy rainfall, aging infrastructure, or items that were flushed or poured down drains. The City is committed to maintaining the public sewer system and works to address issues as they arise. Even so, backups can occasionally occur, and having the right coverage in place is one of the best ways to protect your home and your finances.

To learn more about preventing sewer backups, visit www.mt-pleasant.org/sewer

Important Plumbing Reminders

Your home’s plumbing, and the City’s sewage collection system are designed to handle water, human waste, and toilet tissue only. Clogged pumps lead to equipment failure and can cause the sewer to backup. Repairing these pumps and cleaning up any damage caused by backups is costly. To avoid these unwanted repairs and expenses follow the guidelines listed below.

Do not dispose of these items down drains or toilets:

  • Mop heads of any kind (recently found at the pump station).
  • Baby wipes, disposable personal wipes, towelettes, disinfecting wipes, or cloth wipes of any kind, even if the container indicates they are “flushable.”
  • Paper (other than toilet paper).
  • Medications: (Prescription or over-the-counter.) These may be dropped off for free at the City’s Public Safety Building, 804 E. High Street.
  • Feminine hygiene products of any kind.
  • Beauty products, Q-Tips, dental floss, makeup sponges.
  • Plastics of any kind.
  • Food
  • Grease of any kind, especially grease from cooking. Grease quickly congeals and clogs private sewer lead pipes and municipal sewer mains.
  • Garden supplies, such as pesticides or herbicides, paint, varnish, paint remover, nail polish remover, or chemicals of any kind.
  • Motor oil, gasoline, or any explosive material.

The items listed above should be thrown away in the trash, or disposed of at a recycling center or during a community household hazardous waste collection. Please share this information with all members of your household and any contractors that come in to clean your home.