You are not alone when you have been experiencing persistent sewage odours in your house or garden despite calling the plumbers several times. Maintenance is a vexing problem for many homeowners. As it is done in a few instances, the usual solutions, clearing the blockages or snaking the drains, are only temporary and not permanent. In most instances, the constant sewage odours are caused by broken sewage pipes or give way to pests, i.e. you will require a more lasting solution that will cut at the origin of the problem.
This article explains why sewage odours keep coming back, how pests like cockroaches are connected, why quick plumbing repairs fail, and how sewer pipe relining and professional pest control can finally solve the problem.
Why Cracked Sewer Pipes Keep Leaking Gases
The sewer gases can even get into the soil around your property, provided there is a crack, break or gap in your sewer line. The pipes that drain might seem to drain normally, but small cracks can cause foul-smelling gases to be leaked underground, hence creep up through the floor slabs, crawlspaces or even through your landscaping areas that may be around your home. These gases normally have the odour of rotten eggs or raw sewage.
Common causes of sewer line damage include:
- Tree root intrusion that squeezes into small joints and cracks.
- Ground shifting or soil movement over time.
- Corrosion or old pipe materials cracking under pressure.
- Loose or poorly-sealed joints.
The structural integrity of the pipe can still be damaged even in a case where the blockage or clearing is removed by a plumber temporarily. It implies the gases of the sewer are still escaping, and this is what makes the smell come back.
How Moisture Attracts Cockroaches and Other Pests
Constant water proximity to the sewer leaks forms the ideal environment for pests. The leaks of wastewater underground or inside the walls raise the level of humidity and allow organic matter to be placed closer to the surface. That in its turn draws pests such as cockroaches, rodents and flies.
Specifically, cockroaches breed well in a damp and dirty setting, and tend to find their way into houses via sewers. This can be an indicator of a bigger sewer problem, and even when they are treated with the usual pest treatments, this would only treat the pests that are present and not the root cause of the moisture that they are feeding on.
This explains the need to sometimes hire a professional pest control company on top of the plumbing repairs. This is also when you might need to hire a cockroach exterminator if roaches continue to reappear.
Why Temporary Plumbing Fixes Often Fail
Many common sewer smell fixes focus on obvious symptoms — like manually clearing a clog or flushing a drain — but they don’t address hidden breaks or deteriorating pipes.
Here are the typical shortfalls of temporary fixes:
• Surface-Level Blockage Removal
Removing debris or doing a quick snake may improve drainage temporarily, but if the pipe walls are cracked or separated, gas can still escape elsewhere.
• Trap and Vent Fixes
Dry traps and vent clogs can cause odours temporarily, but if backups persist even after these are resolved, the problem usually lies deeper in the sewer line.
• Patch Repairs
Simple patching can fail over time because the pipe’s structural integrity hasn’t been restored — roots, soil pressure, and age continue to work against you.
Unless the pipe’s core issue is fixed, sewage gases and pest-attracting moisture will keep returning.
How Sewer Pipe Relining Stops Both Odours and Infestations
A long-term solution that many professionals now recommend is sewer pipe relining — a trenchless repair technique that restores the entire pipe from the inside without digging up your yard.
How Relining Works
Relining is the matter of loading a liner, which is covered with resin, into the broken pipe. When inside, it solidifies into a smooth, seamless new pipe that seals cracks and leaks on the inside, effectively doing away with spots where sewer gas can get out.
Why Relining Solves Recurring Odours
- Eliminates leaks: The seamless liner prevents sewer gas from escaping even through old cracks.
- Prevents root intrusion: Without joints or weak points, roots can’t penetrate and cause new leaks.
- Reduces moisture: By keeping wastewater contained, underground humidity drops — meaning fewer pests are attracted.
Because relining forms a new interior surface that’s more durable than traditional pipes, it often lasts decades without needing frequent fixes.
The Role of Pest Control and Cockroach Extermination
Fixing the sewer line alone doesn’t automatically get rid of pests that have already moved in. Even after relining, you may need:
• Professional pest control service
To treat and remove insects and rodents that have taken hold due to previous conditions.
• Targeted cockroach exterminator services
In case the roaches continue to recur even after the treatments, it normally means that the environment that the insects have been in is not entirely corrected. One can remove them and avoid re-infestations with the help of a specialist.
Wrap-Up: Solving the Root Cause, Not Symptoms
The frequent odours of sewage are normally indicative of something wrong beyond repair. Short-term plumbing repair may alleviate the situation in the short term, but long-term smells tend to reappear as the hidden sewer line leak remains active, discharging gas and water. The professional services, such as sewer pipe relining, a pest control company and a cockroach exterminator, address the plumbing infrastructure and pest attraction problems, but directly at the source.
Remedy symptoms such as running drain cleaners, destinking blocks, or even repeated snaking, will not end the cycle when sewer gases are still going through the pipes that are broken. If you want your house to continue to smell fresh and pest-free over the long term, invest in root-cause solutions and professional expertise.
FAQs
1. Why does the sewage smell come back even after plumbers fix the drains?
A consistent sewage smell means that the sewer line itself has cracks or leaks underground. This allows sewer gases to escape repeatedly, even after surface repairs.
2. Can pests like cockroaches be attracted to sewage smells?
Yes. Moisture and organic matter from leaking sewer lines create environments that attract pests like cockroaches, which thrive in damp, nutrient-rich areas.
3. Is normal drain cleaning enough to fix recurring smells?
Drain cleaning may temporarily reduce odours, but it won’t fix leaks or structural damage in sewer pipes that are often the real cause.
4. How does sewer pipe relining stop odours?
Relining creates a seamless inner pipe that seals cracks and prevents gases from escaping, thereby eliminating odour sources and reducing moisture that attracts pests.
5. Should I call a pest control expert along with plumbing repairs?
Yes, even after fixing sewer leaks, pests that moved in earlier may require professional pest control service or cockroach exterminator services to fully eliminate infestations.
The problem of sewer smell recurrence is a complex issue, and only by investing in long-term repair and prevention can it become possible to address it. The right way would eventually help you get rid of the smell as well as the pests that accompany it.
