Baltimore Widens Free Sewage Cleanup to Dry-Weather Backups

Baltimore is extending free cleanup help to basement sewage backups that occur on dry days. The city's Sewage Onsite Support, known as SOS, Cleanup Program previously handled only backups tied to heavy or sustained rainfall. It will now cover qualifying incidents during dry weather when the blockage is found on the city-owned portion of the sewer lateral.

The Baltimore City Department of Public Works said dry-weather backups can happen when debris or other obstructions restrict wastewater flow through a sewer line even without recent rain. Homeowners and renters who qualify are linked with third-party contractors who handle cleanup and disinfection at no cost. Residents who find sewage in a basement should call 311; the department then investigates, identifies the cause and decides whether the case qualifies.

The change arrives after years of requests from environmental groups, who sought cleanup assistance whenever backups stem from city-owned sewer infrastructure, wet or dry. The city will also keep its expedited reimbursement program, which pays eligible households up to $5,000 for cleanup and disinfection costs they have already covered. A household cannot draw from both programs for the same backup.

The city said the expansion takes effect immediately and applies to backups reported to 311. Department of Public Works investigators will determine whether a blockage sits on the city-owned side of a sewer lateral before any contractor work is scheduled.