Clean out drain is flooded out, standing water

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Forehandzebra

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So I live in a 10 unit apartment building. Upon coming home from work last night I noticed the clean out drain in the parking lot was flooded with bits of what looked like baby wipes and toilet paper floating around in the lot.

Thinking nothing of it, I woke up this morning and noticed everytime I ran the water, or flushed the toilet, water would flood out of the clean out drain (can see it from my window). There is already a standing pool of water around it.

I'm not sure what it is. I looked up main line clogs, and I don't have ANY backed up water in any of my drains or sinks like the bathtub or bathroom sink. My toilet is running fine and so is everything else.

I'm on the top floor, and I'm afraid there might be some sort of backup down in the downstair's neighbors apartments, but I'm sure by now (it's been about 12 hours), someone would have said something.

The water isn't particulary nasty (no sewage smell), with the exception of the toilet paper.

Any idea what's going on? Do you think this is just my unit? I've called the landlord, and she hasn't even sent anybody by yet. So what do you guys think?
 

Reach4

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Not a pro, but I expect this indicates a blockage between the cleanout that is spewing sewage and the sewer main.

The landlord needs to have a cleanout done. I would guess that it might only be $200 but increase that if you are in an expensive area. Or I could be way off base. But I am figuring a rodding might be $150 for a house.

It will probably be cheaper for the landlord if the city does not have to get involved.
 

Forehandzebra

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200 bucks at this juncture would literally put me and my kids on the streets. I'm wondering if it is unit specific or if theres a chance someone else clogged the line? I NEVER flush baby wipes or anything like that down the toilet, as I know that's a big cause of a clog. I'm just not sure if we're on some type of communal sewer system?
 

Reach4

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10 unit apartment building.... 3 floors, rectangular building? If so, I am thinking that all of he sewers from the building probably combine before going to the main. If things are more spread out, there could be more than one pipe to the main. But I expect that your sewage has combined with everybody below you before hitting the parking lot.

The landlord won't be happy to hear it, but he will understand I expect. He would rather hear about it from you rather than getting a health code violation.

Looking back, I see you said "I'm just not sure if we're on some type of communal sewer system?". Do you have city water? Are you in a town or city?
 

Forehandzebra

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Yeah I called her already, but she hasn't even sent anyone over. I had an electrical problem last month where my fusebox was literally sparking and shorting out the entire unit and it took a week for someone to come by, tell me that one of the wires was catching fire in the fusebox, and then proceed to not fix it. Took another week after that to get it fixed.

Anyway, it's a 2 floor building, rectangular.

So does that mean the clog might not have originated in my unit??? I mean if it started in my unit, then it started in my unit and I'll be held accountable, but I don't want to be held accountable because me and only one other unit has kids and I don't want them saying I need to quit shoving baby wipes down the toilet when I'm not doing it. They go in the trash in my house. I've just had some bad experiences with a prior landlord getting blamed for my NEIGHBOR'S partys, and I was out working 12 hour over night shifts and I'm not even home, but they'd put notices on my door to keep the music down and to quit drinking in the common areas.
 

Forehandzebra

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Looking back, I see you said "I'm just not sure if we're on some type of communal sewer system?". Do you have city water? Are you in a town or city?

I live in a smaller town next to a bigger city, but the city takes care of all the utilities out here.
 
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