Drainage system backflow problem STINKS

[lowens1975]

Florida

I've lived in a huge apartment complex for just a little over a year. Over the past 5 months or so, my neighbor and I have noticed a dank, almost rotten smell, she's next door and smelled it when she she first turned on the shower and got in to bath, me, it's my kitchen sink. At first we thought it was the water from the faucet, but now, I think it's coming out of the drain. I have to keep a metal stopper in my sink at all times to keep from getting stink bombed just running water to water my flowers.

Our apartment's are in the back of the complex facing a city street and the building are pretty close to the road, so I'm thinking the plumbing system for the complex is running close to and parallel with City's own system. The 'plug' that the maintenance guys use to access to system for the complex is right outside my apartment...so it's easy to see that they spend a lot of time out front trying to keep the system working.

Who is responsible for my stinky sink? Management tells me it's the City, the City tells me it's Managements problem. Ha, ha, nobody wants to claim responsibility and they are passing the buck back and forth...who do I go to next?

 

[FarmerJ]

Are you experiancing actual back ups of waste water?

 

[lowens1975]

Are you experiancing actual back ups of waste water?

Yes, but not from the kitchen sink, from my toilet. My toilet tank leaks 'supposedly' when the pressure builds in pipes outside. And it's not sewage water, it's the clean water that fills the toilet tank. I just bought a spacesaver and to keep it from getting soaked when this happens I keep a rag around the bottom edge between it and the leak.

 

[csi7]

For a fast solution - contact the health department environmental health section, an investigator will come out, and should give you help.

If that does not work, then contact the state of Florida water and sewer department regulator -part of department of health.

This is a dangerous situation, and can cause a dwelling to be condemned due to the high bacteria, whether contagious or non-contagious, and it can ruin the piping connection due to high corrosive acid content.

Best wishes.

 

[Searchertwin]

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The 'plug' that the maintenance guys use to access to system for the complex is right outside my apartment...so it's easy to see that they spend a lot of time out front trying to keep the system working.

Who is responsible for my stinky sink? Management tells me it's the City, the City tells me it's Managements problem.

[/QUOTE]

Is this a daily thing, or just off and on?
Start keeping track if it just off and on.

If it just at times, find when the city is cleaning the septic lines. Keep track of that and you will find whose at fault.