Overhead Sewer installed in 1999

Shortly after moving into our house, we realized that during the heavy rains, we would get sewage backing up the floor drains in the basement.  In 1999, we finally did something about it and installed an overhead sewer type system.

The village has an overhead sewer Grant Program where they help cover some of the cost so that helped. 

We got three quotes on the work and we got three different solutions.  One guy wanted to pump out the back of the house and trench around to the front to the sewer.  Another guy would pump out the front and tie into the sewer in the front yard.  The last guy who we went with had the cheapest and most elegant solution.

All the drains in the basement (floor, sink & toilet) were disconnected from the sewer line and rerouted to the new injection pit.  From there, it is pumped up 6 feet and then back down 6 feet to the sewer line.  When the sewage want to backup, it just goes up the 6 foot pipe and can never reach the pit.  The principle at work here is that water seeks its own level in any system.

Since then, we have never has an issue with sewage backup.  The only problem now is the rain water seepage, but that's another issue.