Will Drought Cause Sanitary Sewer Backups in Kansas City?
Read More: Kissick Construction is ready to prevent or repair sanitary sewer backups in Kansas City and the surrounding region.
When droughts occur, the visible effects in the landscape are obvious in slow growing or even brown vegetation. But are there other consequences that we can’t see right away? Will drought cause sanitary sewer backups in Kansas City?
During 2022, the Kansas City area experienced severe drought, with visible effects across the landscape. Governors on both sides of the state line signed executive orders declaring a drought alert for 53 counties in Missouri and 67 counties in Kansas. The drought monitor map shows conditions eased somewhat at the beginning of 2023, but drought may be returning. Many parts of the region remain abnormally dry. The reduced rainfall and greatly reduced streamflows affected farmers across Missouri and Kansas. However, this drought doesn’t just affect farmers. If you are a homeowner, it can affect you as well.
Here’s how drought can cause sanitary sewer backups in Kansas City and throughout the Midwest. When trees are stressed during a drought, their roots become especially active. They frantically search for any water source, which means they send feeder roots deep and wide into the soil. A tree’s root system can stretch as far as three times the height of the tree in normal situations, but can stretch even further than that during a drought. The tree’s determined search for water usually leads their root system to underground sewer pipes. The tree’s roots will find their way into any small crack in the pipe or pipe joint. The hair-like root system forms a ball in your sewer line or “main line,” clogging it and causing sanitary sewer backups into your house. Additionally, our area’s clay soils contract during droughts, opening cracks in home foundations and sewer pipe connections.
Older homes with older infrastructure are especially susceptible to this issue. If your home is older (built before 1965), chances are you have a VCP (vitrified clay pipe) sewer service. VCP is especially susceptible to cracks, voids and offset or broken joints. This creates a weak point for roots to enter your lines and ultimately cause sanitary sewer backups. If your home has a main line made of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) pipe you have a better chance of avoiding root intrusion. But having a PVC service line does not mean you are 100% protected. Most municipal codes require the use of PVC these days, but not all require PVC pipe with gaskets. This means the plumber who installed that service line may have simply glued the pipe joints together. This glue can fail over time, causing pipe joints to fail or pipes to come apart. When the Kansas City area is experiencing a drought, the likelihood of experiencing sanitary sewer backups is much higher than in normal times, no matter what your pipes are made of.
Leadership
DAVID KISSICK | Vice President / Estimator
Expertise
Utilities, Trenchless Technology, Site Development
About
David has served in many capacities at Kissick during his 20+ years of experience. From low-man on a crew to pipe foreman to “gopher” in the office to estimating and managing multi-million dollar projects, David has experienced a lot in his young career. David serves as an estimator on a variety of underground utility and earthwork projects. He has also led the firm’s expansion into self-performing trenchless sewer pipe rehabilitation work.
Fun Fact
He is a 5th generation Kissick in the construction business. He has 5 children with his wife Monica, and a Border Collie named Roxy.
A sanitary sewer backup into your basement is an obvious emergency, but slow drains can sometimes indicate a future problem. If you notice your basement floor drain or multiple drains inside your home draining slowly, this could be a sign that your sanitary sewer service line is partially clogged. Do not assume this will fix itself — get a professional camera inspection to accurately diagnose the problem. Kissick Construction is uniquely able to inspect the line from the city connection without even entering the home.
If trouble is found, there are multiple ways to fix a clogged sanitary sewer service line thanks to technological advances in the construction industry. For almost a decade, Kissick Construction has invested heavily in these new technologies and has many solutions to your home sewer pipe issues. We have a fleet of camera trucks and lining crews ready to investigate and solve your sanitary sewer service problems.
In a drought or not, Kissick Construction is ready to prevent or repair sanitary sewer backups in Kansas City and the surrounding region. Give us a call today!