Sewage backing up right now
Sewage coming up through a tub, shower or floor drain is urgent, and it is unsanitary. Our dispatch is 24/7, and the first call below is the one that costs you nothing.
- Stop using water. Do not flush, run the dishwasher or start laundry, since every gallon you add ends up on the floor.
- Call West Valley Sanitation District and report the backup. On weekdays call (408) 378-2407 and press 2, and after hours call (408) 299-2507. The district says there is no extra charge for the crew visit.
- Keep children, pets and bare feet out of the affected room, and wear rubber boots and gloves for any cleanup.
- If the district finds its main and lower lateral clear, call (855) 575-2890 for a licensed plumber to check your upper lateral.
Where your pipe ends and the district's begins
A home sewer connection has two parts. The upper lateral runs from the building out to a cleanout near the property line. The lower lateral runs from that cleanout to the public sewer main. West Valley Sanitation District's code makes the upper lateral the owner's responsibility and the lower lateral the district's.
The cleanout is the dividing line. It is a capped pipe sticking up from the ground or sitting in a small box. If you can find it, you can often tell who owns the stoppage by where the water stops rising.
Backup not cleared by the district crew? Call (855) 575-2890 and a licensed plumber can clear and camera the upper lateral.
Call (855) 575-2890Who fixes what, by location of the blockage
This table follows the district's published rules. It is a starting point and not a legal ruling on your property.
| Where the clog sits | Who is responsible | First step |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the house, in a branch drain | Owner | Plunge or snake the fixture, or call a plumber |
| Upper lateral, building to cleanout | Owner | Call a plumber to cable or jet and camera the line |
| Lower lateral, cleanout to main | District, if a qualifying cleanout exists | Call the district first |
| District main in the street | District | Call the district first |
| No cleanout, or location unknown | Owner, all the way to the main | Have a plumber locate or install a cleanout |
Where a lateral meets a main in an easement rather than the street right-of-way, the district code puts the entire lateral and its cleanouts on the owner.
What the district crew will and will not do
The district sends a crew to check its own main. If a cleanout exists, the crew also clears the lateral between that cleanout and the main. Anything beyond the cleanout, toward your house, needs a plumber.
Ask the crew what they found when they leave. A clear main with a still-backed-up house is a strong signal that the stoppage is in your upper lateral or indoor drain. Write down the time and what the crew said, since that helps your plumber and any insurance claim.
No cleanout on the property?
If the property has no cleanout, or nobody knows where it is, the district says the owner is responsible for clearing the line all the way to the main. Under the district's rule, that puts the whole lateral on you, including the part under the street side of the lot.
A plumber can locate the line with a camera and a locator, then install a proper cleanout. Besides making future backups easier to diagnose, it clarifies where the district's duty starts. Work on a private upper lateral requires a permit, so ask the plumber how the permit will be handled.
Finding the cause of the stoppage
A plumber starts with a cable machine at the cleanout to break up the blockage. Roots, grease and wipes are the usual culprits in older clay or cast iron laterals. If the line keeps clogging, sewer line cleaning with a hydro jet scours the pipe wall, and a sewer camera shows what the line actually looks like.
The camera also shows structural damage. A bellied section holds water, a broken joint lets roots in, and a collapsed pipe will not clear no matter how often you cable it. At that point sewer line repair is the real fix, whether that is spot repair, lining or replacement.
Habits that keep the lateral clear
Most backups trace to something that went down the drain. These habits cost nothing.
Keep the lateral flowing
- Flush only toilet paper and human waste, and keep so-called flushable wipes out of the toilet.
- Wipe greasy pans with a paper towel before washing, and never pour cooking fat down a sink.
- Keep the cleanout cap accessible, and do not bury it under mulch, gravel or a planter.
- Run the camera on any line that has backed up twice, before the third time floods a floor.
- Keep trees with aggressive roots away from the lateral route when you plant.
What West Valley Sanitation District rules mean in Los Gatos
West Valley Sanitation District is based in Campbell, and its service area includes Los Gatos, Campbell, Monte Sereno and about two thirds of Saratoga. If you live in the part of Saratoga outside that area, ask which sewer agency serves your street before you call.
The district code ties its continued upkeep of existing lower laterals to cleanouts and laterals installed before November 1, 2026 that were permitted, built to standard and safely accessible. In plain terms, a cleanout that is old, unpermitted, buried or missing may not qualify for the district's upkeep of the lower lateral, and the cost could land on you.
Ask the district three things. Is my cleanout and lateral on record as permitted? Does it count as built to standard and safely accessible? What happens to my lower lateral if I add or replace a cleanout later?
The code also requires an owner-funded backflow device when the lowest fixture floor sits less than one foot above the nearest upstream manhole. If you have one, check it every three to six months, because its flap can close during a blockage. Never pump basement or storm water into the sanitary sewer, since the code bars that.
Nearby towns and who to call
The rules above come from the district, so they apply across its service area. A homeowner near Campbell calls the same district number as one in Los Gatos.
South of town, Cambrian Park is part of south San Jose, so check which sewer agency serves your address before assuming the district rules apply. If you are unsure, ask the sewer agency.
Sewer backup ownership questions in Los Gatos
Call West Valley Sanitation District first, at (408) 378-2407 option 2 on weekdays or (408) 299-2507 after hours. The crew visit has no extra charge, and they check the main and the lower lateral. If the blockage is in your upper lateral or indoor plumbing, that part is the owner's to fix.
Then the stoppage is likely on your side of the cleanout or inside the house. Call a licensed plumber to cable or jet the upper lateral and run a camera.
The district says that with no cleanout, or an unknown location, the owner is responsible for the line all the way to the main. A plumber can find the line and install a cleanout.
Ask your insurer and the district directly, since policies differ and we cannot say. Document the backup with photos and the time the district crew arrived.
Yes. Our dispatch runs 24/7. Stop using water and call the district first, then call (855) 575-2890 if the district crew finds the main clear.
The district states that work on a private upper lateral requires a permit. Ask your plumber how the permit will be pulled before digging starts.