Overhead Sewer System Conversion in Chicago & Western Suburbs, IL
An overhead sewer system raises the lowest opening in a home’s plumbing to be well above the level of an overflowing sewer, which prevents water and sewage from escaping the system and causing a mess.
Protect your basement from flooding with an Overhead Sewer Conversion

Save Your Kid’s Play Area From Flooding! Save Your Wife’s Yoga Studio From Flooding! Save Your Man-Cave With An Overhead Sewer Conversion!
Older Chicago neighborhoods face an increased risk of sewer backups during this decade-long trend of record rainfall in Illinois. Rocket Plumbing can help homeowners take a huge money-saving step to protect themselves from water damage… the worst kind, in fact.
“The Overhead Sewer Conversion will prevent major flooding damage from affecting your basement or cellar. It is the top solution going right now to counter Chicago’s decade long rainfall trend that has been stressing our plumbing systems.” – Brian McMahon, Rocket Plumbing
Your City May Have a Overhead Sewer Rebate Program!
- Arlington Heights, IL 60005 – Overhead Sewer Rebate
- Aurora, IL 60505 – Overhead Sewer Rebate
- Bartlett, IL 60103 – Pipe Lining, Lead Replacement, Overhead Sewer Installation Rebates
- Bensenville, IL 60106 – Overhead Sewer Rebate
- Bloomingdale, IL 60108 – Sewer Service Grant
- Des Plaines, IL 60016 – Flooding and Sewer Lateral Rebates
- Downers Grove, IL 60515 – Stormwater Flooding Mitigation Cost-Share
- Elmhurst, IL 60126 – Overhead Sewer or Clean Check Backflow Valve Cost-Share
- Glen Ellyn, IL 60137 – Overhead Sewer or Backflow Device Reimbursement
- Hanover Park, IL 60133 – Overhead Sewer and Check Valve Rebate
- Itasca, IL 60143 – Sewer Backflow Prevention Cost-Share
- Lisle, IL 60532- Overhead Sewer or Backup Prevention Rebate
- Lombard, IL 60148 – Overhead Sewer Rebate
- Mount Prospect, IL 60056 – Overhead Sewer Rebate
- Naperville, IL 60540 – Sanitary Sewer Backflow Device Reimbursement
- Northbrook, IL 60062 – Overhead Sewer Rebate
- Palatine, IL 60067 – Basement Protection Rebates
- Roselle, IL 60172 – Backflow Prevention Cost-Share
- Schaumburg, IL 60193 – Overhead Sewer Installation Rebate
- South Holland, IL 60473 – Overhead Sewer, Check Valve, Ejector Pump Rebate
- Villa Park, IL 60181 – Check Valve Rebate
- Wheaton, IL 60187 – Overhead Sewer Rebate
- Winfield, IL 60190 – Overhead Sewer Rebate
- Woodridge, IL 60517 – Overhead Sewer and Check Valve Rebate
Chicago has a combined sewer system in many places, which means that rainwater is collected into the same underground pipes that carry sewage.
During heavy rains, the volume of water can exceed the capacity of the sewers, causing the water level to rise and back up into homes – sometimes bringing along raw sewage.
The most reliable method to deal with sewer backups is installing an “overhead” sewer system
Water seeks the lowest point in a system, and in a typical older home, the lowest point of the plumbing system is on the floor of the basement or cellar. An overhead sewer system is designed to raise the lowest point in a home’s plumbing to be well above even an overflowing sewer.
Part of the conversion is any plumbing in the basement or cellar is disconnected from the main sewer and rerouted to a catch basin with a grinder pump. The pump grinds up any solid material and pumps it upward to the top of the tall pipe. That means the water level of an overflowing sewer would have to build significantly higher to escape the plumbing. All this allows the manholes to handle the problem, saving YOUR basement from sewage.
Plumbing problems like backed-up sewer drains can result in extensive property damage and painfully costly repairs. To prevent such a headache as clogged sewer drains and overflowing toilets, it’s important to have regular maintenance performed by a competent plumber like a qualified Rocket Plumbing sewer and drain specialist.
All of Rocket Plumbing’s Chicago plumbers are certified, experienced, and trained to handle any drain cleaning project, from unclogging the main sewer line with our Hydro Jet to tackling an outside sewer line cleanout of Roots, Corrosion, or Rust with our new Picote Milling machine.
What’s the Difference Between a Normal Sewer and an Overhead Sewer?
The majority of Chicago homes are designed to use a gravity-based sewer system. This system simply and expeditiously moves wastewater down into the main sewer line. Unfortunately, these tried and true system designs have a blind spot. It can make it easier for your basement to flood.
An Overhead Sewer System solves this problem by moving your home’s sewer pipe from below the basement, where wastewater can get trapped, to above ground. This upgrade to your current system prevents one of the most awful types of water damage… sewage backed up by an overflowing city sewer.
The second most reliable method to deal with sewer backups is installing a Backwater Sewer Valve
Much of your home’s plumbing can be viewed from somewhere in the house. So, when it has problems we can find the problem and fix it. But the building sewer line in your yard is totally concealed. Often by the time we realize it’s really having problems, it’s too late. A clog or excess water can flood your home with sewage and gray water which is every homeowner’s worst nightmare.
This is why you need the CleanCheck backwater valve. This is installed between your house and the clean-out. If there is a clog or flooding, a flapper inside the valve quickly closes and stops the reverse flow from entering your home or building. And the really cool thing about this is that it installs outside and below ground.

It’s a pretty cool solution because we don’t have to disrupt your house AND your home is protected from things you can’t control. Just another plumbing science idea from Rocket Plumbing. Contact us to schedule a consultation with one of our field technicians today!