Summer is a season for outdoor fun and tons of entertainment at your house, but a small issue in your sewer line can ruin that experience pretty fast. Even though sewer leaks are out of sight and out of mind, they can present serious problems, ranging from nuisances like foul smells wafting around your property to potential health risks and even damage to your foundation. It’s important to be on the lookout for these signs so that you can resolve the issue quickly.

The Nose Knows: Disgusting and Persistent Odors

Among the most clearly noticeable signs that a sewer system is leaking is the sewer smell outside around your property or inside the house. This scent is usually referred to as musty, earthy, or likened to sewage. A brief odor in the moments after you flush a toilet may be no big deal. However, an odor that lingers for too long or worsens, particularly outside of your home in your yard where your septic tank or sewer lines are installed, is a cause for concern. If you’re using a municipal sewer system, the smell may be more prevalent near where sewer drains or vent pipes exit the house.

Greenery Unaccounted for: Extra Lush Lawn Patches

An otherwise healthy and green lawn can be wonderful. However, if you notice grass that’s much greener and lusher compared to the rest of your lawn, especially during a hot and possibly dry summer, it’s possible that a sewer line is leaking underneath the ground. The reason that the grass can become greener when there’s a leak is because sewer water contains properties similar to nutrients in fertilizer. Since the ground is typically drier in the summer, this patch of slightly more lush grass can serve as a more visible visual cue that your sewer line is leaking somewhere underground.

Clogged, Slow, or Gurgling Drains: House Plumbing Issues

Although outdoor signs are crucial, even indoor plumbing problems can signal that there could be a sewer system leak, particularly if the leak is causing a disruption or blockage that’s creating pressure in the pipes. When multiple drains are moving slower than usual or you notice some strange gurgling noises coming from your pipes, it could mean that you have a main sewer line problem. A leak can cause a vacuum or pressure differential to occur within the system, disrupting how wastewater flows out of your house. These signs will show up more in the summer because you’re using more water. So, it would be beneficial to have your sewer system inspected.

The earlier you catch sewer system leaks, the less likely you are to have bigger problems and even larger bills down the road. If you notice any signs that you have a problem with the sewer lines in your Asheville, NC home, call the pros at NCPD Service. We’ll make everything right and ensure your family’s safety.