Apparent sewer-line backup involving sewer cover in front of my house

There has apparently been a sewer-line backup involving a sewer cover that’s in the sidewalk in front of my house.

Note the toilet paper or whatever in the photos. What could have caused the apparent backup? I live with my parents. Should they even bother notifying the city about this? Keep in mind that part of my front yard slopes downward toward the sidewalk. I didn’t notice any fresh mud in my front yard today.

I’ve read that some towns/cities have sewer blockage issues because of the “flushable” wipes, which should not be flushed. They don’t break down and create blockages.

Here’s one reference: Impact of Wipes on Wastewater Treatment

I would report it.

Your city probably has an email address on their web page for their engineering department.

You could use that to send them a copy of the picture.

I believe that there is some potential for the toilet paper and other debris to foul up the check valve on your sewer line. ( Check valves allow water to flow in one direction only and are common on sewer lines in the basement.)

If your city is in one of the areas hit by storm surge, then the sewers often flow backwards in surge conditions. But if may just be a sewer clog or partial clog. In that case, the city waste department should be notified. They will come out and ream out the sewer line.