Sewer Backup in Prince George's County: Who Pays for What

What happens first when a sewer line backs up?

Stop using water, keep people out of the affected area and call for help. Do not flush toilets or run the washer, and avoid contact with the water. Then call WSSC Water if you are in its area, and call for cleanup. Sewage is Category 3 water, so it is handled with protective gear and removal of porous materials.

The first minutes decide how much of the house is affected. Every fixture that sends water into the same line adds to the backup, so a family that keeps running the dishwasher or flushing can push more water onto the floor. Tell everyone in the house to stop.

Take photographs of the water, the floor drain or fixture it came from and the waterline on walls before anything is cleaned. These pictures are the most useful record you can have for the utility, for your insurer and for the crew. More on the cleanup itself is on the sewage backup cleanup page.

If the water is already on the floor, wear boots and gloves if you must cross it, and keep children, pets and anyone with a weak immune system away. Sewage can carry bacteria and viruses, and it should not be handled with bare hands or cleaned with a household vacuum. Close doors to the affected room so that contamination does not travel on shoes.

Who decides whether the backup is mine or the utility's?

In WSSC's service area, which covers Montgomery and Prince George's counties, WSSC Water decides on site. Its crew checks the main and the connection. If the blockage is in WSSC's main, the crew clears its side at no charge. If it is in your lateral, the line is yours, and a plumber is needed.

Call before you hire a plumber to open the line, if you can. The utility's crew can check the main while the problem is fresh, and its finding is the document that matters if you later make a claim.

Ask the crew for its finding in writing, or write down the names, the time and what was said. A verbal conclusion that cannot be recalled is little help later.

Be ready to describe what happened: which fixtures backed up, whether neighbors have the same problem, whether it followed heavy rain, and whether there were earlier slow drains. Several houses on one street with the same symptom points toward the main, while a single house points toward its own lateral, though only the on-site check settles it.

Does WSSC pay for the damage?

Not automatically. WSSC clears blockages on its own side for free, but damage and plumber-fee claims go to the WSSC Claims Office at 301-206-7095. The utility decides whether a claim is accepted. Keep photographs, receipts, the on-site finding and a log of your calls, and do not assume a result.

A claim to the utility is a separate path from a claim on your homeowners policy. The utility is deciding whether it is responsible for the blockage. Your insurer is deciding what your policy covers. You may need one, both or neither, and each has its own deadlines.

This site cannot predict how either will decide. What it can say is that people who document early, report promptly and keep copies are better placed to explain what happened.

A common mistake is to pay a plumber to open a line that turns out to be the utility's own blockage. Asking first costs a phone call and can save a plumber's fee, and the finding is useful either way.

What does a homeowners policy cover for sewer backup?

Usually nothing unless you added a water and sewer backup endorsement. Maryland Insurance Administration guidance says Maryland law requires insurers to offer it, that it does not cover flood or surface water, and that most policies do not pay to repair the pipe itself. The endorsement is meant for the resulting damage inside the house.

Check your policy now, before you need it. Look for the words water backup or sewer backup, the limit and the deductible. If you cannot find them, ask your agent in writing.

Flood is a different thing. Water that enters from outside, such as a creek or surface runoff, is generally excluded from a standard homeowners policy and needs a separate policy such as one under the National Flood Insurance Program.

What if I live outside WSSC's area?

WSSC serves Montgomery and Prince George's counties only. Towns in Anne Arundel and Howard counties around Bowie, such as Crofton, Odenton, Severn, Savage and Jessup, are outside that area, and a different utility is likely to be responsible there. The utility for your address is the one that sends your water and sewer bill.

No local utility rule outside WSSC's area has been verified for this guide, so the practical advice is general: call the utility on your bill, ask how it decides responsibility for a backup, and ask whether it has a claims process.

Private systems add another case. Some larger lots, such as in Davidsonville, Crownsville or Gambrills, may have septic systems, which are not covered by public utility lines. A septic backup is a matter for the county health department and a septic contractor.

Renters and condo owners face a further layer. The building's owner or association often controls the sewer line inside the property, so the first call is to the landlord or management in writing, and a renter's or condo owner's policy may cover belongings or interiors with wording that differs from a house policy. More is in apartment and condo water damage.

What records should I keep?

Keep photographs of the water and the waterline, the time you first noticed the backup, the name of everyone you spoke to at the utility, any written finding, plumber estimates and invoices, the cleanup scope, receipts for emergency costs and a list of discarded items. A single folder with dated copies is far easier to use than scattered texts and emails.

Write your notes on the day it happens. Memory fades and details such as which drain bubbled first or how the water smelled can matter when someone has to judge the cause.

Keep discarded items only as long as health rules allow. Photograph them, list them with approximate values, and then dispose of them safely. If an adjuster wants to see an item, ask first and wrap it.

• Photos and video of the water, the drain and the waterline
• Date and time of the backup and of each call
• Names and any written finding from the utility
• Plumber report, camera footage and invoices
• Cleanup scope and the moisture log
• A list of damaged and discarded items with values

Which plumber should I call?

A plumber who is registered with WSSC Water if you are in Montgomery or Prince George's County. Ask for the registration number, a written estimate and a description of what will be done. For work on a residence in Maryland, also ask about the contractor's Home Improvement Commission licence when repairs or rebuilding are involved.

A plumber can run a camera down the lateral to show the break or the blockage, and the video is useful evidence for the utility or your insurer. Ask for a copy.

If the plumber says the problem is in the main, call WSSC before paying for work on it.

Before authorizing work, ask what the plumber found, what it will do, how long it will take and what it will cost, in writing. A repair to a lateral can involve digging in a yard or under a driveway, which may need permits or a utility mark-out. Ask who arranges those, and keep the estimate with the rest of your records.

How do I protect the house from a repeat?

Ask a plumber about a backwater valve on the lateral, keep grease and wipes out of the line, and have tree roots checked if the line is old. Know where the cleanout is and what drains sit lowest in the house. A backup endorsement on your policy limits the cost if it happens again.

A backwater valve closes when flow reverses, but it needs regular cleaning, and not every house can take one. A plumber decides after seeing the line and the fall.

In older neighborhoods such as Hyattsville and Mount Rainier, laterals may be decades old and roots are a likely cause. In attached housing the lateral may be shared, so a neighbor's blockage can become your backup.