Sewer Line Problems: 7 Warning Signs and What a Camera Inspection Reveals

Most sewer-line jobs we run in Norwalk, Downey, Whittier, and Long Beach started as a small symptom the homeowner saw weeks — sometimes months — before they called. Here are the seven we wish people called us about sooner, and what a sewer camera inspection actually shows once we're on site.

7 warning signs your sewer line is in trouble

1. Multiple drains slow at once

One slow drain is a local clog. Two or more — or a toilet that gurgles when the washing machine drains — almost always points at the main sewer line.

2. Sewage smell inside or in the yard

A dried P-trap is fixable by running water. If the smell comes back, you have a cracked drain line, a failed wax ring, or a broken vent stack.

3. Gurgling toilets

Air trying to escape past a partial blockage. Ignore it and the next step is a backup into the lowest tub or shower.

4. Soggy or unusually green patches in the lawn

A broken sewer line under the yard is essentially fertilizing one specific patch of grass. If one section of your lawn is suspiciously lush, that's why.

5. Slow draining after rain

Older clay or Orangeburg sewer lines in homes built before 1970 (still common in Norwalk and parts of Whittier) crack and let groundwater in. Heavy rain overloads the line.

6. Foundation cracks or sinkholes near the cleanout

A leaking sewer line erodes soil under the slab. By the time you see a foundation crack, the line has been leaking for a while.

7. Rats or roaches showing up out of nowhere

They follow broken sewer lines into the home. It's one of the clearest signs the line has a real opening somewhere.

What a sewer camera inspection actually reveals

We push a high-resolution waterproof camera through your sewer line from a cleanout. You watch the screen with us. In about 30 minutes we can typically identify:

• Root intrusion — roots growing through joints, the #1 sewer-line killer in LA County.
• Bellies — sagging sections where the pipe lost its slope and now traps waste.
• Offsets — joints that have shifted from soil movement or earthquakes.
• Cracks and channeling — pipe material breaking down from age.
• Foreign objects — wipes, toys, building debris from a remodel.
• Pipe material and length — so any repair quote is accurate, not a guess.

You get a written report and the video file. If a repair or replacement is needed, you can take that video to any plumber for a second opinion — we encourage it.

Repair options once we know what's wrong

Small root intrusion → hydro-jet and a yearly maintenance plan. A single cracked joint → spot dig and replace. A line that's full of bellies, breaks, and roots → trenchless pipe lining or full replacement. We quote each option in writing so you can choose. See more on our pipe repair & replacement page.

Don't wait — small sewer issues become expensive ones fast

If you're seeing two or more of the signs above, call (562) 521-4995. Sigma Plumbing & Rooter answers 24/7 and serves Norwalk, Downey, Cerritos, Whittier, Bellflower, Long Beach and the rest of LA & Orange County. Read our Google reviews — and if we've helped you, please leave one.