Restaurant Drains Backing Up? Find the Real Culprit

The pattern tells you the problem

• Only the drains upstream of the trap are slow (three-compartment sink, dish pit, nearby floor drains) — and it got gradually worse over weeks? That’s the trap: full past its limit and throttling flow. Fix = full pump-out. Fastest resolution on this page.
• Everything backs up at once, including bathrooms? That’s your building lateral, downstream of the trap — often grease that escaped an overdue trap and hardened in the line. Fix = pump the trap and jet the line; pumping alone won’t clear it.
• Neighbors in your strip center backing up too? Shared line or city main. Careful here: under Sec. 2:272(6), when the parish cleans a shared sewer line, every business on it gets billed unless they can document a properly maintained trap — manifests and inspection records. This is the scenario the pump-out log exists for.
• Sudden, total blockage after normal service? Think object, not grease — a rag or utensil in the line. A camera inspection beats guessing.

Why it always happens on a Friday

Peak covers = peak water and peak grease. A trap running near its limit all week tips over exactly when the kitchen can least afford it. If you’re mid-backup now: emergency service, and stop putting water down the FOG lines until the truck arrives.