The first rain of the season has a particular quality to it. While we don’t get a lot of rain in America, we do get a lot of rain in the winter. Unfortunately, when it rains, some homeowners’ homes smell like sewage. Don’t worry if this happens to you; there are things you can do and reasons why your house smells like sewage when it rains.

Sewer systems are designed to be waste entry points. Water, human waste, and other organic garbage, which is frequently from objects thrown down your sink, make up this waste. When all of these things come together, you get a smell that is not only unpleasant but potentially toxic. 

In most residences, the wastewater is collected in a u-shaped sewage trap. This sewage trap forms a barrier between the sewer stink and your clean home by forming a seal.

 Gas from the sewer and sewage waste will make their way into your home if this u-trap is not correctly sealed, or if the seal has broken down over time.

If you have a septic tank and notice a strong sewage odor in your home when it rains, it could be a sign that your septic tank is having issues. Septic tanks can last for a long time, but they eventually wear out and fail. Rainwater soaks into the ground and seeks out the lowest spot, which is normally your septic tank’s bottom. Rainwater will fill the septic tank and send sewer gas out into the open if there is a break in the tank, which could be caused by a damaged pipe or some stray tree roots.

Do you have any sinks or showers that you don’t use very often? Maybe in the garage, there’s a utility sink? If this is the case, a dry water barrier could be the source of your home’s sewage-like odor

 when it rains. The water barrier in the sewer trap may dry out if a plumbing item in your home isn’t utilized frequently. The simplest solution is to turn on the infrequently used fixture. This water will rehydrate the water barrier and aid in the removal of the sewage odor.