Addressing a recent sewer issue at Germantown Road, Farmville Town Manager Gerald Spates said causes of sewer blockages can vary and encouraged homeowners to contact town representatives if they notice issues on their properties.

Spates said town officials responded to a recent backup of a sewer line on Germantown Road, which impacted nearby residences and residences located at lower ground.

He said there are numerous causes of sewer backups or blockages.

“It’s like a sewer stoppage at your house, you don’t know when it’s going to happen,” Spates said.

In the case of Germantown Road, he said the issue was caused by tree roots on the line. The recent weather and flooding, Spates said, wasn’t related to the issue.

“It’s an unfortunate situation,” Spates said. “What we’ll do now is we’ll make sure we keep an eye on that line and check it periodically, make sure everything’s working OK.”

He said sewer issues aren’t limited to the town lines. He said pipes at individual residences can see issues as well.

For solutions to sewer issues, Spates said backflow preventers, which are often installed to protect contamination from potential backflow, may not be appropriate for all households.

“Sewage runs by gravity,” Spates said. “If you put a backflow preventer on, you’ve got more of a chance of having a stoppage in the line than you do without it.”

He said maintenance of sewer lines in town occur periodically. Spates said while it isn’t always feasible for all residents to be contacted when maintenance occurs, he encouraged people to contact the town office if they notice incidents that occur on town sewer lines. He said the town has officials on call to respond or make repairs.

“If people have sewer problems during the day they can call the town office and we can check it. If it’s at night, we have people on call,” Spates said, citing the dispatch office.

To contact the town office during the day, call (434) 392-5686 or call the dispatch center after hours at (434) 392-3332.