Sewage Backing Up? What to Do Before We Arrive
A full main line backup is an emergency because wastewater rises to the lowest drain in the house. Hydro jetting is often the fastest way to restore flow once the cause is a heavy buildup.
- Stop using water everywhere, including laundry, showers and the dishwasher.
- Keep children and pets out of the basement while a floor drain is overflowing.
- Do not touch electrical panels, outlets or appliances standing in or near sewage water.
- Lift stored boxes and rugs off the floor so they stay out of the flow.
- Call the 24/7 line and say which fixtures are slow so we bring the right jetting setup.
If you smell gas or the water is near your electrical panel, leave the house and call 911 from outside before you call a plumber.
What Hydro Jetting Does That a Cable Cannot
A cable machine spins a cutting head through a blockage and pulls it back. That opens a channel, but the grease and scale stuck to the pipe wall stay put. Within weeks the channel narrows and the line backs up again.
A jetting hose works differently. A nozzle sends pressurized water out in several directions at once, which scours the full inside circle of the pipe. The same water pushes loosened debris downstream toward the sewer, where it flows away.
That is why jetting suits lines that clog on a schedule. If you have paid for the same drain to be snaked more than twice, the pipe wall is probably coated and a cable will keep missing the real problem.
Four Problems Jetting Solves Well
Jetting is not a cure for every blockage. These four causes are where it earns its place on the truck.
Grease
Kitchen fat cools and hardens into a waxy lining. Hot, high-pressure water breaks it up and washes it out of the pipe instead of just boring through it.
Mineral scale
Hard water leaves rough deposits on cast iron and galvanized lines. The borough's own report lists hardness of roughly 236 to 278 ppm at several plants, so scale is a real factor here.
Tree roots
Fine root hairs enter at joints and thicken into a mat. A jetting nozzle shreds the soft root growth, though thick woody roots may need a cutter first.
Soap, hair and wipes
Packed debris in long horizontal runs flushes out best under pressure, especially in a line with a slight sag.
Hydro Jetting Compared With Other Ways to Clear a Line
We choose by what is in the pipe, how old the pipe is and what a camera shows. This is how the options usually compare.
| Method | What it removes | Where it falls short | Good first choice when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hydro jetting | Grease, scale, soft roots and packed debris. | Not for collapsed or badly cracked pipe. | The same line has clogged several times. |
| Machine cable | A single heavy blockage or thick roots. | Leaves coating on the pipe wall. | Water will not move at all. |
| Hand cable | A clog in one fixture trap or short branch. | Too small for main line work. | Only one sink or tub is slow. |
| Camera check | Nothing, it shows what is wrong. | Does not clear the pipe. | You need to know why the line fails. |
Jetting is one tool inside our drain cleaning service. When the line is a full sewer run, the work overlaps with sewer line cleaning.
When Not to Jet a Pipe
Water pressure helps a sound pipe and can hurt a fragile one. We look before we jet, which is why a camera often comes first.
Jetting is a good fit
- Pipe wall is intact and joints are tight.
- Buildup is grease, scale or soft debris.
- Cast iron or clay that is rough but solid.
- Recurring clogs with no sign of collapse.
Hold off or choose another route
- Crushed, broken or separated pipe.
- Pitch fiber (Orangeburg) pipe that has softened.
- Offset joints where debris is trapped behind a gap.
- Thin pipe walls found on the camera.
How the Visit Goes
Look at the line first
We locate the cleanout, check which fixtures are affected and often run a camera to see the pipe condition before any pressure goes in.
Jet from the cleanout
A hose with a pressure nozzle goes in through the access point. We work forward and back so the whole run is scoured.
Prove it and show you
We run water at full flow and camera the line again if needed so you can see the clean wall and any damage that remains.
Why Older Hawthorne Lines Need a Careful Look
Census estimates put the median Hawthorne home at 1953, and about 60 percent of the borough's 8,046 housing units were built before 1960. Houses of that age often still have original cast iron or clay drains under the yard. Those pipes are tough enough for jetting when sound, but age can leave weak spots, so the camera check matters before pressure goes in.
Heavy storms also stress these lines. The borough's environmental inventory records Henri on August 22, 2021 flooding stretches of Lafayette Avenue, Rea Avenue and Wagaraw Road. If your backups cluster after big rain, mention it on the call because roots or joint gaps may be involved.
What Hydro Jetting Costs
We give you a clear price before work starts. That price is based on the line we find, not on a guess over the phone.
If a sudden failure caused the backup, ask your insurer what documentation they need. We can describe the work in writing, but coverage decisions belong to your insurer.
If the Camera Shows Damage
Jetting that exposes a cracked or collapsed section tells you the truth about the pipe. We explain what the footage shows and what the repair options are, without pushing a repair you do not need. Our sewer line repair page covers excavation and lining.
We also dispatch to nearby towns such as Fair Lawn when a main line backs up and the owner wants jetting rather than another quick cable pass.
Common Questions
Yes. Our line is open 24/7, including evenings, weekends and holidays. A sewage backup is treated as an emergency at any hour.
On sound pipe, no. Damage happens when pressure meets a pipe that is already cracked, collapsed or soft. That is why we look at the line first and tell you if jetting is the wrong tool.
It depends on the cause. Grease and scale scoured off the wall can stay gone for a long time if habits change, while roots regrow and may need a repeat visit. We tell you what the camera shows so you know what to expect.
For recurring clogs it usually is, because it cleans the whole pipe wall. A cable is still the better choice for a single fixture clog or a line that is completely stopped. Many calls use both.
It shreds soft root growth well. Thick woody roots often need a cutter head first and then a jetting pass to clean up. Roots will return unless the entry point is repaired.
A cleanout makes the work faster and cleaner. If none exists, we can often reach the line through a toilet or roof vent, and we may recommend installing a cleanout so future service is easier.
Local figures on this page come from the Hawthorne Water Department's 2026 Water Quality Report, the borough's Environmental Resource Inventory and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey estimates. Check current numbers with those sources before you rely on one.