Disconnect roof drain pipe or pipe the water into the sewer before backflow preventer?

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John Riley

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This is a very interesting thread. I have a duplex up in a three story graystone in Chicago and my neighbors and the co-owner of the building (garden apt.) suffered basement flooding this summer. In response, several of my neighbors have installed backflow preventers. My downstairs neighbor would like us to do the same. Several companies have quoted prices of about $7,000 but one suggested that since the roof drain is connected to our system, to properly install the system they wanted to re-route the roof drainage pipe to drain separately into the sewer at the front of the house - before the back-floor preventer. This would add another $7,000 to the project since they wanted to bury the pipe for the distance of the house. This does make some sense, since flooding only occurs during big rains and the rain water would then back up into the basement if the preventer was engaged. I read elsewhere that basement flooding could be greatly mitigated by disconnecting the drain pipe. Why couldn't we drain the water to the alleyway?? Isd that an option?? I can't imagine spending $14,000!!! Thanks
 

Reach4

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We will agree that having the drain pipe insert water on the home side of the backwater valve would be bad.

A simple backwater valve without a pit and pump is not going to be sufficient. Those leak. And even if they are perfect, what is going to happen if your unit flushes a toilet etc while be valve has closed? As I understand it, the system needs to handle the sewage for 3 units. $7000 may be too cheap if it does not include a pit/vault and a pump. And if you just isolate the gutters, that still might not be effective. So I would try to find out more about what is being proposed.

I would check BBB for the people doing the work.

A good system would be to go to an overhead sewer system where the upper floors sewage routes directly to the sewer, and the basement apartment's sewage would go into a sewage pit and gets pumped upward to join the other sewage at a higher above-ground point.

Regarding spilling the gutters into the alley, sounds good to me. The city may have its own opinion on that. http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/water/supp_info/basement_floodingpartnership.html
 

John Riley

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We will agree that having the drain pipe insert water on the home side of the backwater valve would be bad.

A simple backwater valve without a pit and pump is not going to be sufficient. Those leak. And even if they are perfect, what is going to happen if your unit flushes a toilet etc while be valve has closed? As I understand it, the system needs to handle the sewage for 3 units. $7000 may be too cheap if it does not include a pit/vault and a pump. And if you just isolate the gutters, that still might not be effective. So I would try to find out more about what is being proposed.

I would check BBB for the people doing the work.

A good system would be to go to an overhead sewer system where the upper floors sewage routes directly to the sewer, and the basement apartment's sewage would go into a sewage pit and gets pumped upward to join the other sewage at a higher above-ground point.

Regarding spilling the gutters into the alley, sounds good to me. The city may have its own opinion on that. http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/water/supp_info/basement_floodingpartnership.html
Thanks for your post. It is a two unit building. I agree, a simple backwater valve won't do the job and I read that they can also leak. I also read some information concerning the overhead sewage system. I'd rather the owner of the downstairs unit go that route as well. Thanks, John
 
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