You may need to plug your sewer line during a disaster as a back flowing sewer can cause considerable property damage and pose health hazards.
In floods and other disasters that affect the sewage pumping stations you may save your basement or house from backed up sewage by plugging your sewer line. However, stopping the sewer is rather tricky since there isn’t simply a valve you can turn off.
Back-flowing means that liquid is actively flowing backwards up out of the drain. Backed up simply means that nothing is flowing out the drain (and thus everything trying to go down the sewer from your house is flowing back out the lowest drain in your house).
The down side to doing this is, well, your sewage does not flow OUT of the house either! You will want to shut off the water supply to prevent anybody from flushing or running the tap while the sewer is plugged.
Purchase a Sewer Test Plug
You will need to prepare for this procedure ahead of time. Purchase an inflatable sewer line “test plug” that matches the size of your main sewer pipe. You can check the local hardware store, but you will probably need to go to a plumbing supply store or find one online. Make sure you have a hand operated pump designed to inflate the plug.
