Sewage coming out of your yard cleanout means the sewer line is blocked somewhere between that cleanout and the city main. Stop using water inside, keep kids and pets away, and call a plumber to clear the line. If a city manhole or the street is overflowing too, call the city. Then disinfect the yard.
What does sewage coming out of the cleanout mean?
It means the blockage is past the cleanout, toward the street. A cleanout is a capped pipe that opens into your sewer line, so a plumber can reach the line without digging. When the line clogs downstream of it, wastewater backs up the pipe and rises out of the cleanout, since it's usually lower than any drain inside. Our page on what a sewer cleanout is shows what one looks like and where it sits.
This is actually the better of the two outcomes. Sewage coming out in the yard means it isn't coming out of your tub or shower yet. If the cleanout cap is still on and sewage is coming up inside, see what to do when sewage backs up into the tub or shower.
The common causes are the same ones Phoenix names for backups citywide. The city says "The two primary causes of sewer backups and overflows are grease and roots." Its sewer FAQ adds that roots from "trees and invasive shrubs, such as oleanders" can get into pipe joints and "form a root ball once inside the pipe." A collapsed or sagging section of old pipe can do the same.
What should you do right now?
Stop the flow and protect people first:
- 1Stop all water use in the house. Every flush, shower, sink, dishwasher, and washing machine cycle adds to what's coming out in the yard.
- 2Keep people and pets away. Vermont's environmental agency says to mark or block off the area so the public and pets can't reach it, and to "Keep children and interested bystanders away from cleanup activities."
- 3Don't try to force the clog. Pouring chemicals down a drain, or running water to "push it through," adds more sewage to the yard.
- 4Look at the street. Check for an overflowing manhole cover, and ask neighbors whether their drains are slow.
- 5Make the call. Call a plumber for your line, or the city for its main (details below).
Who do you call: a plumber or the city?
Call a plumber if the problem is only at your house. Call the city if its main or a manhole is overflowing.
In Phoenix, the city says "home or property owners are responsible for cleaning and maintaining the sewer line that runs from the house to the connection with the city sewer main in the street or alley." The city "will ONLY repair broken service lines within the public right of way." Its sewer FAQ explains the split for cleanouts too. The city may have its own cleanout "typically found at the beginning of a sewer line within the public right of way or dedicated easement," but "Residential homes and businesses also are built with cleanouts as well. However, these cleanouts are generally located on private property and fall outside the jurisdiction of city staff."
| What you see | Who to call |
|---|---|
| Sewage from your own yard cleanout, neighbors fine | A plumber |
| A manhole in the street or alley overflowing | City of Phoenix Water Services |
| Several homes on the street backing up at once | The city first, then a plumber if yours doesn't clear |
For a city sewer problem in Phoenix, the city's sewer FAQ lists 602-262-6691 during business hours and 602-261-8000 "after normal hours or on weekends." If you live in another Valley city, call that city's water or wastewater department.
A plumber will open the cleanout, run a drain machine or water jetter toward the street, and can push a camera down the line to see what caused the clog. That tells you whether a repeat is likely.
How do you clean up sewage in the yard?
Remove what you can, then disinfect. Vermont's Department of Environmental Conservation publishes a standard outdoor procedure. The main points:
- Protect yourself. Wear "at a minimum, rubber or latex gloves and rubber boots," then dispose of the gloves and wash the boots when you're done.
- Remove the solids. If material "can't be recovered using hand tools, a commercial vacuum/pump truck should be called to remove all visible liquid and solid material."
- Disinfect. "When the area is visibly clean," apply a bleach and water solution to the spill area. Vermont's recipe is 3/4 cup of bleach to one gallon of water.
- Keep it closed off. Vermont's procedure keeps the barriers up until 24 hours after the bleach solution goes down.
- Don't mix products. "Do not mix cleaning / disinfecting products or chemicals," since they "can react with one another to produce toxic vapor or liquid substances."
Vermont also covers hydrated lime but warns it "is a caustic material and is dangerous to handle and apply," and should only be used by people experienced with it. For a home yard, bleach is the simpler choice.
If sewage reached a patio, walkway, or pool deck, treat it like an indoor hard surface. Washington State's health department says to clean with "hot water and a mild detergent," then rinse with a bleach solution. Wash your hands well and launder clothes separately afterward. Keep kids and pets off treated areas until they're dry.
### Should you worry about the vegetable garden?
Yes, if sewage reached it. Sewage carries harmful bacteria and viruses, and the EPA says sewer overflows threaten "public health." Don't eat produce that sewage touched. Ask your county extension office for advice before replanting a bed that was soaked.
How do you stop it from happening again?
Find out why the line clogged, then fix the cause. A camera inspection after the line is cleared shows whether it was grease, roots, a belly (sag) in the pipe, or a break. Then:
- Grease goes in the trash. Phoenix says to let grease "cool in the cookware that was used, and then scrape it into the trash can."
- Plant away from the line. The city says not to plant "a tree or large shrub too near your property line, over or near the sewer line or cleanout for your home."
- Repair what's broken. Roots that keep returning usually mean a cracked joint. Spot repair, lining, or replacement fixes the pipe. See pipe bursting vs pipe lining.
Our page on maintaining your sewer line to prevent backups covers the habits that keep lines clear, and whether insurance covers a sewer backup covers the cost side.
HQ Plumbing & Air clears blocked sewer lines 24/7 across the Phoenix area, with camera inspection to find the cause, licensed and insured, with upfront pricing. See our sewer repair service.
Stop the water, call the right people, then clean and disinfect. The cleanout just showed you where the problem is.