June 15. Mark it on your calendar. That’s the official start of Arizona’s monsoon season, and if your drains and sewer lines aren’t ready for it, you could be in for a very unpleasant summer.
Monsoon season in Arizona isn’t like rain in most of the country. These aren’t gentle, steady showers. They’re sudden, violent storm cells that can dump one to three inches of rain in under an hour — on soil that’s been bone-dry for months and is almost completely unable to absorb water quickly. The result is instant, powerful runoff that overwhelms storm drains, saturates yards in minutes, and puts enormous pressure on every drain and sewer line in its path.
If your system has any vulnerabilities — a slow drain, a partial sewer blockage, a cracked clean-out cap — monsoon season will find them. Usually at 10 PM on a Saturday.
Here’s what you need to do right now to protect your drains and sewer lines.
What Monsoon Season Does to Your Drains and Sewer Lines
Sewer Backups from Overwhelmed Systems
When a monsoon dumps two inches of rain in an hour, municipal storm drain and sewer systems get overwhelmed. Excess water in the city system creates back-pressure that can push dirty water up through your sewer lines and out through the lowest drains in your home — typically floor drains in the garage, laundry room, or basement, and in severe cases, through your toilets.
This isn’t just a mess. Sewage backup is a health hazard, and cleanup and remediation after a backup can cost thousands of dollars. Prevention is vastly cheaper.
Root Intrusion Gets Worse
Tree roots are constantly seeking water. In Arizona’s dry climate, they’ll travel remarkable distances to find a moisture source — including the water inside your sewer line. Small cracks in older sewer pipes are all the invitation they need. During monsoon season, when the soil around those roots suddenly gets saturated with water, root systems swell, and an existing small intrusion can become a significant blockage fast.
Soil Shifting Around Pipes
The clay-heavy soil in much of the East Valley expands significantly when it gets wet. Underground pipes — especially older ones with less flexible joint connections — can shift, crack, or separate as the soil moves around them. A pipe that was “fine” during dry season may develop a leak or collapse during the ground movement of a major monsoon event.
Debris and Sediment Inflows
During a heavy storm, runoff carries everything with it — dirt, leaves, landscape rock, caliche, and debris. All of that can enter your drainage system through cracks, open clean-outs, or low-set drain grates. Once inside, it settles and contributes to blockages. A drain that was barely adequate before the storm becomes completely blocked after.
How to Protect Your Drains and Sewer Lines Before Monsoon Season
Get a Drain Cleaning
If your interior drains have been running a little slowly, or if it’s been more than a year since you had them professionally cleaned, schedule a drain cleaning before monsoon season hits in earnest. A plumber can clear any existing buildup from your kitchen sink, bathroom drains, and main line so there’s maximum capacity to handle storm-season demands.
Hydro jetting — using high-pressure water to scour the inside of drain lines — is especially effective for clearing years of grease, hard water scale, and debris buildup from your main line. It’s the difference between a drain that’s “okay” and one that’s truly ready for a monsoon event.
Have Your Main Sewer Line Inspected
If your home is more than 15-20 years old, or if you’ve ever had any history of slow drains or sewer issues, consider a video camera inspection of your main sewer line before June 15. A camera inspection runs down through your clean-out and gives your plumber a real-time look at the inside of your sewer line — root intrusions, cracks, bellied sections (low spots where debris collects), and scale buildup.
If there’s a problem, you want to know about it before a monsoon forces the issue.
Check Your Clean-Out Cap
Your sewer clean-out is a white or black PVC pipe with a threaded cap that provides access to your sewer line for inspections and cleaning. It typically sticks out of the ground a few inches in your yard, near the foundation, or in a utility box.
Make sure the cap is present and tightly secured. A missing or cracked clean-out cap is an open invitation for debris, insects, and floodwater to enter your sewer system. Caps are cheap — a few dollars at any hardware store. If yours is missing or cracked, replace it before monsoon season.
Consider a Backflow Prevention Device
If your home has experienced sewer backups during heavy storms in the past, or if you’re at lower elevation in your neighborhood, a backflow prevention device (also called a check valve or backwater valve) installed on your sewer line can be a game-changer. These devices allow water to flow out of your home in normal conditions but automatically close when back-pressure from the city system tries to push sewage back in.
They need to be installed by a licensed plumber and require occasional maintenance, but for homes at risk for backups, they’re some of the best insurance money can buy.
Clear All Exterior Drains
Before the first storm of the season, manually check and clear every exterior drain on your property. This means patio drains, driveway drains, garage floor drains, and any area drains in your landscaping. Use a garden hose to flush each one and confirm they’re flowing freely.
Also look at the grade around your home — does your yard slope toward the house or away from it? Water should always drain away from your foundation. If it doesn’t, that’s a conversation to have with both a plumber and a landscaper before summer.
What to Do If You Experience a Backup During Monsoon Season
If sewage backs up into your home during or after a storm:
- Stop using all water immediately. Every flush, every faucet, every shower adds more to the backup.
- Don’t try to clean it up yourself until the source is stopped.
- Call a plumber immediately. Monsoon-related backups need a professional to clear the main line and assess damage.
- Document everything with photos and video for insurance purposes.
- Contact your homeowner’s insurance company — some policies cover sewer backup damage, especially if you have an endorsement for it.
FAQ: Monsoon Drains and Sewer Protection in Arizona
Q: How can I tell if my main sewer line is at risk before monsoon season?
A: Warning signs include multiple slow drains in your home, gurgling sounds from your toilet when you run other water, occasional sewage odors, and wet or soft spots in your yard that don’t seem to be from irrigation.
Q: What’s hydro jetting and do I need it?
A: Hydro jetting uses high-pressure water (typically 3,000-4,000 PSI) to blast through blockages and scour the interior walls of your drain lines. It’s more thorough than traditional drain snaking and is especially effective for hard water scale buildup and grease accumulation. It’s a great option if you haven’t had your main line cleaned in a few years.
Q: Can I install my own backflow prevention device?
A: Backflow prevention devices need to be installed by a licensed plumber and may require a permit depending on your municipality. This isn’t a DIY job — improper installation can actually make backups worse.
Q: How much does a main sewer line inspection cost in Mesa?
A: A video camera inspection of your main sewer line typically runs $150–$300 in the Mesa area. Well worth it for the peace of mind going into monsoon season.
Monsoon-Proof Your Drains with One Call Plumbing Services
Don’t wait for the first big storm to find out your sewer line isn’t ready. One Call Plumbing Services has been helping Mesa and East Valley homeowners prepare for monsoon season for over 25 years. We offer drain cleaning, hydro jetting, camera inspections, and emergency plumbing — everything you need to go into storm season with confidence.
Call us at 480-663-2255. We serve Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler, Tempe, Scottsdale, Phoenix, and Queen Creek. One call and you’re covered.