Sewage backups in Columbus, Ohio

This page maps every sewage backup report filed with the City of Columbus, Ohio: cases where sewage came up into a home or a drain or toilet failed.

About 180 of these reports also say the landlord or manager was told and did not act. Inside a rental the backup is the owner’s to fix, and the record shows when they did not. Landlord and management complaints in Columbus →

Renting or buying

Renting or about to?

Sewage backups point at aging drain stacks, and buildings with sewage reports are far more likely to also have mold reports on file. Check both at the address.

In older multi-unit buildings, ask when the main drain line was last cleaned or scoped.

Check an address on the live map →
Right now

Dealing with it right now?

Photograph the backup and anything it damaged before cleanup, then report it to 311 with the address. Nearly every sewage report in this data is scored critical.

In a rental the landlord handles the plumbing failure and the sanitation. If the backup came from the city main rather than the building, tell 311 that when you call, because that routes differently.

Owners

Landlord or property manager?

Clearing and scoping drain lines before backups reach a unit prevents the worst reports filed here. Document the cleanup, because damage disputes follow these.

Block Report

Is your building or block already on record for sewage backups?

Search any Columbus address to see what neighbors reported in that building and on that block.

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Live map

Want to see all 831 sewage reports on a map?

831 sewage reports across Columbus, plus about 81,000 complaints of every kind, plotted block by block.

Sewage backups map All complaints
Open live map ↗ Sewage BackupAll other

Where it's most reported

Neighborhoods ranked by rate, meaning each category's share of the neighborhood's reports against its citywide share, so big neighborhoods don't win just for being big. Only rates with enough reports behind them are listed.
#1Driving Park2.8×21 reports #2Berwick1.7×32 reports

For contrast, rates run lowest in S of Refugee / Hilliard-Rome among the busiest areas.

See sewage reports on the live map →

Often reported with

What else shows up at the same addresses. Address-level comparison, so this reads as a building-quality signal, not a coincidence of one phone call.
Mold and water damageAddresses with sewage reports are about five times as likely to also have mold and water damage reports on file.→ Smoke detectors and fire hazardsAddresses with sewage reports are about four times as likely to also have fire safety reports on file.→ Landlord and management complaintsAddresses with sewage reports are about four times as likely to also have landlord complaints reports on file.→ Raccoons and wildlifeAddresses with sewage reports are about three times as likely to also have wildlife reports on file.→

When it gets reported

Share of the year's reports landing in each month. Each year is scaled to its own level before months are averaged, so a year with more reports, or a change in how the city takes them in, does not tilt the shape.
January · 8% of the year's reportsJFebruary · 6% of the year's reportsFMarch · 9% of the year's reportsMApril · 8% of the year's reportsAMay · 9% of the year's reportsMJune · 10% of the year's reportsJJuly · 9% of the year's reportsJAugust · 10% of the year's reportsASeptember · 10% of the year's reportsSOctober · 7% of the year's reportsONovember · 4% of the year's reportsNDecember · 11% of the year's reportsD

Reports hold roughly level across the year. Whatever drives sewage backups does not follow the weather.

All sewage reports by month latest month: 48
48 JAN '25 SEP '26

Common questions

How do I report sewage backups in Columbus?

Report it to 311 right away with the address and where the sewage is coming up. Photograph the damage before cleaning. In a rental the landlord is responsible for the repair and cleanup. If it is coming from the city main, say so. The step-by-step reporting guide →

Are sewage reports in Columbus going up?

Yes. Sewage reports so far this year are running about 22% ahead of the same months last year.

Where are sewage reports most common in Columbus?

Rates run highest in Driving Park and Berwick, comparing each neighborhood's share of reports against the citywide share. No neighborhood is entirely without them.

Who is responsible for fixing sewage backups?

Inside a rental building, the owner is responsible for the drain lines and for cleaning up a backup. Backups caused by the city main are the city’s side, which is why it matters to say where it is coming from when you report.

Looking at a specific address?

Get the full Block Report, covering what's been reported at that exact address, the same building, and chronic neighbors within a third of a mile.

Search an address →
Source & method

What counts here. Reports of sewage backing up into a home, raw waste, or failed drains and toilets. Animal waste complaints are counted separately under trash.

Data comes from official City of Columbus code enforcement records (Accela portal + ArcGIS REST API). Reports are categorized by keyword matching on complaint narratives and city record types, so counts are reports filed, not verified conditions, and automated matching can misfile individual records. The data window covers JAN 2025 – SEP 2026, so month-of-year patterns will sharpen as full years accrue.