What is the same about Philadelphia and Pittsburgh?
The lateral belongs to the owner. Both utilities say so plainly, and both have programs or claims processes for backups from the public system.
Philadelphia pairs the rule with a backwater valve program and a customer responsibility diagram. Pittsburgh's PWSA adds a note that some older line ownership is unclear.
Southeast Pennsylvania: Philadelphia
Row-house blocks and shared old pipe define the city.
Local page: Philadelphia. Crews also take calls from Upper Darby, Norristown, Chester, Bensalem and Cherry Hill.
Southwest Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh
Hills, alleys and century-old clay lines make the city's laterals varied.
Local page: Pittsburgh. Callers also reach us from Mt. Lebanon, Penn Hills, Monroeville and McKees Rocks.
What causes Pennsylvania sewer backups?
Old pipe, roots and grease. EPA names grease and tree roots among the primary causes of blockages.
Rowhouse clay and cast iron in Philadelphia, steep-lot hillside lines in Pittsburgh and busy restaurant corridors in both each bring their own issues, which is why a camera look and a clear boundary come before any repair decision. Ask about storm drain jetting, tree root removal, sewer line jetting, and drain jetting. Other states are collected on the areas we serve page.