It made a generation nervous about storm drains, and the imagery stuck because everyone has walked past one and wondered where it actually goes.
In real life, storm drains and sanitary sewers are separate systems. Storm drains carry rainwater to creeks and rivers, which is exactly why dumping paint or oil into one is a genuine problem.
The sanitary line leaving your house is the one we care about, and the horror story there is roots. Tree roots find hairline cracks in older clay laterals and grow into a mass that stops everything.
The good news is a camera inspection takes the mystery out of it. You see what we see, and nobody has to guess. Call 209.838.1000.
Need a plumber in the 209 & 350?
Family owned in Escalon since 2010. CA Lic. #953726 (C-36 Plumbing). Flat-rate quotes before we start.