Sewage at the Basement Floor Drain
The floor drain is the lowest opening in most Des Moines basements, so a blocked lateral or a surcharged city sewer shows up there first.
OVERVIEW
What Counts as a Plumbing Emergency in Des Moines
A plumbing emergency is any failure causing damage right now or leaving the house without water or drains: sewage at a basement floor drain, a pipe spraying inside a wall, or no water at any faucet on a January morning. Clog Busters is a drain, sewer and plumbing company based at 3950 Vandalia Road in Des Moines, open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Two Des Moines conditions turn ordinary plumbing into an emergency fast. Heavy rain pushes extra water into the sanitary sewer and backs it up toward basement drains, and deep cold freezes the supply line where it enters the house. Des Moines Water Works makes the property owner responsible for the service line and the stop box. When the camera shows a failing pipe, our sewer services in Des Moines take over, and a failed tank goes to our water heater repair and replacement in Des Moines.
A backwater valve is the long term protection against a sewer surcharge. According to the City of Des Moines, its Private Property Protection Program reimburses 100 percent of the cost, up to $1,500, when a licensed plumber installs a backwater valve on the private sewer service and the owner meets the program requirements, including city pre-approval before the work starts.
Repairs are performed to the 2024 Uniform Plumbing Code, which the State of Iowa adopted effective March 26, 2025.
