Overflows & Back-Ups

Employees checking manhole

If You Experience An Overflow or Back-Up

If you experience an overflow or back-up, contact the Wastewater Treatment Plant first at (574) 372-9562.

Contacting the Wastewater Treatment Plant could save you from paying an unnecessary plumber's fee if the issue originated from the Wastewater Department's operations. A technician will visit your property to determine where the issue is originating from.

If a back-up occurs due to problems with a city line or error while jetting the lines, the Wastewater Treatment Plant Office will assist you with insurance contacts to resolve the issue. If a back-up occurs due to problems with a customer's line, the customer is responsible to take care of that problem.

Flushable Wipes - They Really Shouldn't Be Flushed

Wipes advertised as "flushable" are causing problems in our sewers that lead to costly repairs.  Please do not flush any kind of wipe to help protect our sewer infrastructure.  The video below features Utility Manager Brian Davison and Assistant Utility Manager Larry Hyden sharing the problems caused by flushable wipes and why residents should avoid them.

Fat Free Sewers - Keeping our Sewers Clear

Sewer overflows and backups can cause health hazards, damage home interiors, and threaten the environment. An increasingly common cause of overflows is sewer pipes blocked by grease. Grease gets into the sewer from household drains, as well as from poorly maintained grease traps in restaurants and other businesses. Most of us know grease as the byproduct of cooking. Grease is found in such things as: 

  • Baking goods
  • Butter and margarine
  • Cooking oil and shortening
  • Dairy products
  • Food scraps
  • Lard
  • Meat fats
  • Sauces

The easiest way to solve the grease problem and help prevent overflows of raw sewage is to keep this material out of the sewer system in the first place.