How do I know for sure if I have a broken sewer line? There is an area where our sewer line is that has what looks like dried paper. We had quite a bit of snow that has now melted, and I'm not sure if the paper was under the snow, or if maybe it's toilet paper that has bubbled up. I hope that makes sense, and I appreciate any help.

Does it smell like something that was in a sewer? Are there any holes where the 'stuff' could have come up from the ground? Has your sewer recently backed up?