Urgent situation
Sewer backup
Three things, in order: restore flow and protect people and property, document what happened, then establish whether the public system or your private lateral caused it. Skipping the third step is why backups repeat.
While it is happening
Work down this list. It is ordered by urgency, not convenience.
- 01
Stop adding water
Pause laundry, dishwashers, showers and any fixture that drains. Everything you send down adds to what comes back up.
- 02
Keep people and pets out of it
Sewage is a health hazard. Keep children and animals away from affected rooms and standing water.
- 03
Do not enter water near electrical or gas hazards
If water is near outlets, panels, appliances or a gas appliance, stay out and contact the appropriate emergency professionals or your utility.
- 04
Document before anything is cleaned
Photograph and video the affected areas and note the time, the fixtures involved and what was happening in the house.
- 05
Contact your insurer early
Ask what your policy covers and what documentation they need. Coverage for sewer or drain backup is often a separate endorsement.
- 06
Report it to Citizens Energy Group
Report a sewer backup or overflow to Citizens Energy Group customer service at (317) 924-3311. That is the utility's number, not ours — Indy Sewer Guide has no phone line and cannot respond on site.
- 07
Get emergency or remediation help if the risk is immediate
Where there is a health risk, significant water in living space, or damage in progress, contact emergency services or a professional remediation provider directly.
General safety and clean-up guidance for a home that has taken on water is published by the U.S. EPA. We do not publish disinfectant mixtures or do-it-yourself electrical instructions, and you should not push sewage into other drains to move it along.
Public system or private lateral?
This distinction drives everything that follows: who investigates, who pays, and what the fix even is. Citizens Energy Group publishes guidance on reporting backups and overflows and handles issues in the public system. A problem confined to your property is a private lateral matter.
A few signals help you frame the question, though none of them is proof. If neighbours on the same block are experiencing the same thing at the same time, that points outward. If only your lowest fixtures are affected and no one else is, that points at your lateral. If backups coincide reliably with heavy rain, clear-water entry — downspouts, sump discharge or infiltration through defects — becomes worth investigating; Citizens’ Correct Connect material covers that category directly.
Report it, then let the utility establish what is theirs. Do not authorize excavation on the assumption that the defect is on your side until the location is established.
Clearing is not diagnosis
A cable machine or jetter restores flow. That is the emergency response and it is genuinely valuable at two in the morning. What it does not do is explain why the line stopped. Roots grew in through something. Solids settled somewhere for a reason. A blockage recurred at the same distance twice because something at that distance is catching material.
Once flow is restored, an inspection converts “it happened again” into a located finding you can act on. Ask for the footage and the distance readings — see the inspection guide for what a usable deliverable includes.
Why backups repeat
The recurring causes are unglamorous: root intrusion through open joints, a collapsed or offset section, accumulated grease and scale in older pipe, a belly holding water and solids, an obstruction at a connection, or clear water entering the sanitary system during rain and overwhelming it. Several of these are structural, which is why cabling can restore flow without resolving the reason it recurs.
Prevention worth discussing
What can be done depends entirely on the cause, so this is a list of conversations rather than a list of fixes. Keeping grease and wipes out of the system. Periodic inspection on an older lateral with known root pressure. Confirming that downspouts and sump discharge are not connected into the sanitary sewer. And, where the risk profile justifies it, having a qualified plumber evaluate whether a backwater valve is suitable for your configuration and verify the current permit and inspection requirements before anything is installed — not a weekend project.
The insurance distinction
Two different things can be insured, and homeowners routinely conflate them. Damage caused inside the home by a backup is one category — the Indiana Department of Insurance notes that sewer and drain backup is commonly excluded from standard policies and may require an endorsement. Failure of the buried service line itself is a separate coverage question. Review your policy declarations and endorsements and ask your carrier directly; do not rely on a contractor’s expectation of what will be covered.
Document while it is fresh
This record is what your insurer, the utility and any contractor will each ask about.
- Date, time and duration of the backup.
- Which fixtures were affected, and in what order.
- Whether it was raining, and how heavily.
- Photos and video of standing water and damage, before cleanup.
- Whether neighbours reported anything similar.
- Who you called, when, and what they did.
- Distance readings if a line was cabled or inspected.
Questions homeowners ask
- Multiple drains are backing up at once. What does that indicate?
- When several fixtures — usually the lowest ones — are affected together, attention generally moves past a single fixture drain to the main line. It is a starting point for investigation, not a diagnosis.
- Who do I report a sewer overflow to in Indianapolis?
- Citizens Energy Group customer service, at (317) 924-3311. Reporting it lets the utility check whether the public system is involved.
- Is a backup covered by homeowners insurance?
- Often not by default. Sewer and drain backup is commonly excluded and may be available as an endorsement, and buried service line failure is a separate matter again. Confirm with your carrier.
- Should I clean it up myself?
- Keep people and pets away, avoid areas with electrical or gas hazards, and consider professional remediation for anything beyond a very small event. Follow the EPA's general flooded-home guidance rather than improvised methods.
- The line was cleared. Do I still need an inspection?
- After an isolated event, whether an inspection is needed depends on the suspected cause and the advice you receive on site. If it has happened before, a recorded inspection is especially useful for identifying the cause. See camera inspection.
Local rules and source notes
Reviewed August 29, 2026
Citizens Energy Group
Sewer back-ups: reporting and homeowner guidanceHow to report a backup or overflow and how public-system issues are handled.
Citizens Energy Group
Correct Connect — private sewer connectionsDamaged laterals, root intrusion, cleanouts, and clear-water sources such as downspouts and sump pumps.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Flooded home clean-up and indoor air safety overviewGeneral safety and clean-up guidance after water or sewage enters a home.
Indiana Department of Insurance
Consumer alert on water damage, sewer and drain backup coverageExplains that sewer and drain backup is commonly excluded and may require an endorsement.
Requirements and published guidance change. Confirm the current rule for your address with the responsible utility before authorizing work.
Dealing with a backup and unsure what comes next?
Tell us what's happening and what's already been tried. We'll help you identify the next reasonable step.
Indy Sewer Guide is an independent homeowner resource and does not perform sewer work. Submitted requests may be shared with an independent local professional when appropriate.