Downspouts connected to the sewer - reason for flooding?

Cleveland, Ohio
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Downspouts connected to the sewer - reason for flooding?

Ofir R.
Member since 2023 · 26 posts · 17 votes

I have house in Ohio that is rented under Section 8. It's run by a management company that seems to know what they are doing. I'm in a different state.

The basement was watered twice and the reason is unclear. Before purchase we had someone from our side snaking with camera the line and found no issue on our side.

Now the county snaked and camera the line again - they are saying there are no broker pipes no on the house side and no on the city side (we requested the camera video but this is a public record request and will take time).

The last update I received now is that the city service director and a city engineer conducted an hour of investigation on the property. They suspect one or more of the downspouts are connected to the sewer. They will be requesting from the county to conduct a dye test on the downspout to check if that is the case.

Does anyone have experince with this situation and how this can go about? How long will it take, and what can be an outcome?

I know the management company is proactive, but I wonder if anyone has experience with this situation. Would love your advice.

Thanks!

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  • Aisha Umar
    Virtual Assistant · U, S · Member since 2025 · 58 posts · 15 votes
    1y
    Quote from @Ofir R.:

    I have house in Ohio that is rented under Section 8. It's run by a management company that seems to know what they are doing. I'm in a different state.

    The basement was watered twice and the reason is unclear. Before purchase we had someone from our side snaking with camera the line and found no issue on our side.

    Now the county snaked and camera the line again - they are saying there are no broker pipes no on the house side and no on the city side (we requested the camera video but this is a public record request and will take time).

    The last update I received now is that the city service director and a city engineer conducted an hour of investigation on the property. They suspect one or more of the downspouts are connected to the sewer. They will be requesting from the county to conduct a dye test on the downspout to check if that is the case.

    Does anyone have experince with this situation and how this can go about? How long will it take, and what can be an outcome?

    I know the management company is proactive, but I wonder if anyone has experience with this situation. Would love your advice.

    Thanks!




    Thanks for sharing this. I've seen similar issues come up in older homes sometimes improper downspout connections can definitely lead to unexpected basement water issues. The dye test should help confirm the path. If it’s confirmed, a disconnect and redirect to a sump or yard drain might be required. Timeframe can vary, but if the city's involved, it might take a few weeks. You're doing the right thing by staying on top of it. Let us know how it turns out.
    0Reply
    • Ofir R.
      OP
      Member since 2023 · 26 posts · 17 votes
      1y
      Quote from @Aisha Umar:
      Quote from @Ofir R.:

      I have house in Ohio that is rented under Section 8. It's run by a management company that seems to know what they are doing. I'm in a different state.

      The basement was watered twice and the reason is unclear. Before purchase we had someone from our side snaking with camera the line and found no issue on our side.

      Now the county snaked and camera the line again - they are saying there are no broker pipes no on the house side and no on the city side (we requested the camera video but this is a public record request and will take time).

      The last update I received now is that the city service director and a city engineer conducted an hour of investigation on the property. They suspect one or more of the downspouts are connected to the sewer. They will be requesting from the county to conduct a dye test on the downspout to check if that is the case.

      Does anyone have experince with this situation and how this can go about? How long will it take, and what can be an outcome?

      I know the management company is proactive, but I wonder if anyone has experience with this situation. Would love your advice.

      Thanks!




      Thanks for sharing this. I've seen similar issues come up in older homes sometimes improper downspout connections can definitely lead to unexpected basement water issues. The dye test should help confirm the path. If it’s confirmed, a disconnect and redirect to a sump or yard drain might be required. Timeframe can vary, but if the city's involved, it might take a few weeks. You're doing the right thing by staying on top of it. Let us know how it turns out.

       Thank you Aisha. I will!

      0Reply
  • Ofir R.
    OP
    Member since 2023 · 26 posts · 17 votes
    9mo

    Just updating here. The problem was that two backflow preventors, one near the house and one on the street, were strangely removed by the previous owners a few years ago and never reinstalled. It took a lot of time and money to figure this out. 

    The solution was to install a new one near the house. Will update in the future if this worked out or not... 

    0Reply
  • Matthew Banks
    Developer · Member since 2023 · 73 posts · 43 votes
    9mo

    you may just be putting too much water into too small a pipe. sewers aren't generally meant to handle stormwater runoff, that water drain into the ground around the property.  I would think it is possible to follow the downspouts to the sewer line, no? I've always seen it visible in the basement of a property, but I'm in upstate NY. You don't mention whether these are urban, suburban or rural properties and that can make a big difference in the runoff treatment.

    0Reply
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