What Are the Best Ways to Prevent Sewage Backups This Summer?

By Emily Newton

Summer presents unique challenges for wastewater systems. Increased water usage coupled with summer storms can strain already creaking infrastructure and increase the risk of sewer overflows. Strategies to prevent sewer backups should be a priority for sewage professionals and contractors. Addressing key areas such as proactive inspections and smart monitoring can help ensure the resilience of sewers through the season.

Understanding the Causes of Summer Sewage Backups

Can heavy rain cause sewage backup? Absolutely. While snowmelt is a primary concern in spring, summer presents its own hydraulic challenges. According to the EPA, increasingly frequent and intense seasonal rain events overload combined and sanitary sewer systems. During storms, infiltration and inflow (I&I) can exceed system design limits, forcing untreated wastewater into basements and streets.

Concurrently, residential water use typically peaks in summer months due to lawn irrigation, car washing and recreational activities. This spike stresses both lateral and municipal mainlines. Soil shifts from drought or localized flooding can exacerbate joint displacement or pipe cracks, providing ingress points for tree roots or stormwater.

Tree root intrusion remains a perennial issue, especially in legacy clay or concrete lines. Dry soil conditions can intensify root aggression toward joints and micro-cracks. Moreover, aging infrastructure is a critical vulnerability. According to ASCE’s 2025 Infrastructure Report Card, only about 30% of wastewater capital needs are being met, with the funding gap set to widen further in the coming decades.

Against the backdrop of these challenges, how can the industry prevent sewer backups? There are several key strategies to consider.

1.   Proactive Inspection and Maintenance

Routine inspection and preventive maintenance are nonnegotiable if the goal is to prevent sewage backups, especially during peak stress periods such as summer.

CCTV inspections remain the gold standard for condition assessment. High-definition video allows contractors to identify root intrusion, fat/oil/grease deposits (FOG), joint misalignments and minor structural defects — before they become systemic failures. Inspection frequency should be based on risk profiles. Older neighborhoods with high root density or combined systems demand quarterly inspections.

Jetting and mechanical rodding remain essential tools for mainline clearing. Contractors should prioritize areas with known FOG buildup or previous backup incidents. Maintaining system resilience should be key.

Beyond active repair, early detection is a vital strategy. The early identification of micro-cracks, misaligned joints or minor collapses allows for trenchless rehabilitation using cured-in-place pipe liners or spot repairs. Leak detection should also extend to manholes, which often serve as unmonitored I&I vectors.

GIS integration with inspection data allows for historical pattern analysis, supporting predictive maintenance. Many utilities now use AI-assisted inspection tools to optimize resource deployment and prioritize rehabilitation.

2.   Infrastructure Upgrades and Modernization

Contractors working with municipalities or large-scale private systems must push for long-term asset renewal strategies to prevent sewer backups. Band-aid repairs are inadequate in the face of increasing loads and demographic pressure.

Pipe replacement using HDPE or PVC materials offers higher resistance to corrosion, root intrusion and joint failure than legacy materials like vitrified clay or cast iron. The integration of gasketed joints and seamless installations significantly reduces I&I. 

Backwater prevention valves, properly sized and installed on laterals and sub-basement plumbing, act as critical fail-safes. Pressure-rated check valves or gate valves with manual overrides should be considered for high-risk zones.

Septic systems also need attention. A saturated drain field causes effluent to pool or backup, while increased groundwater can cause dislodged tanks. Converting or upgrading undersized setups to aerobic treatment units or mound configurations increases capacity and reliability. In rural or semi-urban areas, decentralized networks with telemetry provide better performance monitoring and less chance of unnoticed failure.

3.   Smart Monitoring and Early Warning Systems

Digital transformation is redefining sewer network management. IoT-enabled flow meters and blockage detection sensors now allow real-time insight into system performance. Deployed in gravity mains and pressure systems, these sensors help detect flow anomalies indicative of blockages, infiltration or root intrusion.

Advances in remote telemetry and SCADA integration allow utilities to monitor lift station performance, wet well levels and pump activity without manual checks — crucial during summer storm events when time-to-response is critical.

Smart systems also support data-driven maintenance. Algorithms analyze historical and real-time data to suggest optimal jetting schedules or alert when flow thresholds are exceeded. Contractors offering telemetry-integrated service packages, therefore, have a significant competitive edge.

4.   Public Education and Customer Engagement

Even the best-engineered systems required end-user cooperation. Contractors working with municipalities should advocate for robust customer education campaigns.

Property owners must understand that what they flush can be a major cause of household lateral clogs, especially when combined with summer root growth. A study in California investigated what was being flushed in two locations at peak flow times. Of the items that should not have been there, 64.9% were non-flushable products such as sanitary products and paper towels, with 34.1% being wipes of the type labeled as “do not flush.” Clear messaging on the dangers of dumping these and FOG down drains remains essential.

Water conservation messaging, particularly during summer, reduces peak demand. Simple strategies such as rain barrel use, smart irrigation timers or even incentivized conservation rebates can reduce system stress during heat waves or droughts.

Additionally, community outreach should highlight early signs of sewer backups, such as gurgling drains or slow-flowing fixtures, encouraging residents to report incidents before they escalate.

5.   Emergency Response Planning

Despite the best sewer backup prevention strategies, incidents will occur. A comprehensive emergency response protocol is critical to minimizing damage and downtime.

Crews should receive season-specific training, including safe procedures for confined space entry in high heat, rapid response routing for known hot spots and coordinated dispatch for simultaneous events.

Pre-staged materials — bypass pumps, liners, hoses, descaling tools — allow for faster mobilization. Municipalities should develop mutual aid agreements to share resources across jurisdictions during widespread summer events.

Case Studies and Industry Best Practices

The city of Milwaukee, WI, implemented an ambitious Private Property Infiltration and Inflow Reduction Program, which has seen promising results. In 2024, they reached 43.3 million gallons of I&I being removed annually. Much of this was achieved through a Pipe Check initiative, promoted by carefully targeted public outreach efforts, including educating the public about how heavy rain causes sewage backups.

Kansas City, MO, began a 30-year Smart Sewer initiative in 2010. Part of it has focused on rehabilitating smaller conduits of 12-inch diameter or less to help prevent sewer backups. CCTV surveys covered over 400 miles, restoring 125 miles to as-new condition using cured-in-place pipes and other trenchless technologies.

Detroit, MI, is investing in a $15 million program to help homeowners protect their properties by installing backwater valves or sump pumps. The plan aims to build on similar programs elsewhere, but with a key difference. Rather than being reimbursement-based, where residents choose their own plumber and must pay up front, the city will oversee the entire process from plumber selection to inspection and installation.

Staying Ahead of Summer Sewage Risks

Summer is a high-risk season for sewage backups, but it doesn’t have to be a disaster waiting to happen. Contractors and utilities can effectively mitigate these seasonal threats through proactive inspection, infrastructure modernization, smart monitoring and public engagement. The time to act is before the storm — not during.

Emily Newton is a construction and industrial journalist. She is also the Editor-in-Chief for Revolutionized Magazine. Keep up with Emily by subscribing to Revolutionized’s Newsletter.