Emergency
Emergency drain help for Somerville backups, overflows and frozen lines
If water or sewage is coming up somewhere it should not, stop running water in the whole building, keep away from anything electrical near the water, and call to check emergency availability with an independent Somerville drain contractor. The pages below cover each kind of urgent drain problem in detail.
Report a suspected street sewer problem to the city through 311 as well.
All emergency
ServiceEmergency Basement Sewer Backup
Sewage on the cellar floor: protect appliances and belongings, call in the right order, and document everything for later.
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ServiceEmergency Bathroom Drain Cleaning
A sink or tub overflowing onto the floor and into the unit below: stop the water, protect the ceiling, then clear the drain.
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ServiceEmergency Clogged Drain Service
For nights when two or more fixtures quit together and you need to know whether it is one shared clog or the main.
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ServiceEmergency Commercial Drain Cleaning
Restaurant or storefront drains down mid-service: grease interceptor overflows, Somerville FOG rules, and urgent clearing.
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Emergency Drain Cleaning
A triage guide for urgent drain trouble: sort out which drain failed, what to shut off, and when to call tonight.
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Emergency Floor Drain Backup
A floor drain filling up: clean water or sewage, laundry and boiler discharge, test plugs, and when to call for urgent help.
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Frozen Drain Line
When a cold snap stops a sink or laundry drain: which pipes freeze in older Somerville houses and how to thaw them without damage.
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ServiceEmergency Hydro Jetting
When urgent hydro jetting is the right answer for a blocked line, and when older pipe calls for a cable or a camera first.
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ServiceEmergency Kitchen Drain Cleaning
A full, greasy kitchen sink before a big meal: safe steps, disposal jams, and when the kitchen branch needs a cable tonight.
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Emergency Sewer Line Cleaning
Sewage in the basement: sort a blocked lateral from a storm-surcharged city sewer, and know what urgent main line work involves.
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ServiceShared Stack Backup
Water from upstairs rising in your sink or tub: how to coordinate every unit, the owner and access during a shared stack emergency.
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ServiceEmergency Toilet Drain Cleaning
A toilet spilling over: stop the tank, protect the ceiling below, and decide whether the clog needs someone tonight.
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First minutes
What to do first when a Somerville drain is backing up
Turn off the source. Ask everyone in the house, and every unit above you, to stop flushing, showering, running the dishwasher and doing laundry. In a two- or three-family building every fixture drains toward the same pipe, so one tenant's shower can keep feeding a backup in the cellar.
Next, protect people. Sewage carries germs, so keep children and pets out of it, and stay away from standing water near outlets, the furnace, the water heater or the washer. Do not pour chemical openers into a backed-up fixture; they rarely reach a main line clog and they make the work harder for whoever opens the pipe. Take a few photos from a dry spot, then make the call.
How the call works
How an emergency call works on a drain referral line
Drain Cleaning Somerville is a call-in referral service. Your call is connected to an independent local drain contractor, and you speak with that contractor directly. Nobody on this site can promise when someone will arrive; availability depends on the contractor's schedule and the weather, which is why the honest wording is to call and ask whether someone can come out tonight.
It helps to say which drains are affected, which floor the water is on, whether it is raining hard, and whether you know where the sewer cleanout is. If the city sewer in the street seems to be the problem, Somerville's Water and Sewer Department responds to backup calls reported through 311 [1]. For the full list of non-urgent work, see the services hub.
Choosing a page
Which Somerville emergency drain page fits your situation
Sewage spreading across the cellar floor is covered under basement sewer backup, while water rising only from the floor grate is covered under floor drain backup. Water coming up in one apartment when another unit drains points to a shared stack backup. A drain that stops in a cold snap may be a frozen drain line. If it only happens in heavy rain, read about sewer backup during heavy rain, because Somerville's mostly combined sewers can run full in big storms [2].
Urgent questions
Emergency drain questions Somerville callers ask out loud
Who do I call when sewage is coming up in my Somerville basement right now?
Call the number on this site to be connected with an independent drain contractor and check emergency availability. If neighbors on the street have the same problem during heavy rain, report it to the city through 311 as well.
Can a drain contractor come out tonight in Somerville?
Sometimes, but it depends on the contractor's schedule and conditions that night. Nobody here can promise an arrival time, so describe the problem on the call and ask directly whether a visit tonight is possible.
Should I keep flushing the toilet while I wait for help?
No. Every flush, shower or load of laundry adds water to a pipe that cannot empty, and in a multi-family house it surfaces at the lowest drain. Ask every unit to hold off until the line is cleared.
Is a backed-up drain an emergency if it is only clean water?
It can still be urgent if it is rising or spreading toward appliances or wiring. Clear water often comes from laundry or a tub upstream, but the blockage is the same kind, so treat it seriously and call.
Do I need a permit for emergency drain cleaning in Massachusetts?
Clearing a stoppage does not need a plumbing permit under state rules, but replacing pipe or adding a valve is permit work for a licensed plumber. An emergency repair can start first if the inspector is notified by the next working day [3].
Water still rising
Describe the backup and ask about emergency availability
Stop the water, keep clear of anything electrical, and call. The independent contractor you are connected with will ask a few questions and tell you what they can do and when.