Traditionally, sewage lines are installed beneath the area where the waste material is being collected. This design relied primarily on gravity to help ease the flow of the waste into the sewage lines for processing. The challenge many Dallas plumbers face is in areas such as basements, common homes to washing machines and spare bathrooms. The problem lies in the fact that these basements are often built below sewage lines and therefore, the waste water from laundry and bathroom usage must travel upwards, as opposed to downwards as it would in a traditional plumbing design. In order to allow the upward transport of the waste, a sewage pump is needed with enough force to work against gravity and deliver the waste material up to the sewage lines themselves. Plumbers refer to these types of pumps are referred to as sewage ejector pumps.

There are two basic variations of the sewage ejector pump commonly found in use. They are known as vertical suspension models and close-coupled submersible ejector pumps. Boston plumbers, for example, may prefer to use the vertical suspension model. In this design, the pump's motor is situated on top of the basin top and then connected via a tube or shaft to the pump housing inside the basin itself. San Diego plumbers, on the other hand, may prefer the close-coupled submersible ejector pump. This design still uses a tube or shaft to connect the motor and pump, however, it also incorporates both the motor and pump within the basin itself, making the unit more compact in design. Both varieties can be found in a range of sizes designed to fit nearly any household need. Larger scale models can also be found to accommodate more industrial or commercial sewage applications.

Aside from the two basic sewage ejector pump designs, they can also be found in two basic operation types. These are referred to as grinder pumps and non-clog pumps. A grinder pump operates exactly as the name implies. Its powerful motor helps to grind down solid waste material into more easily transportable pieces. The final size of the materials varies depending on the model being used and the settings, but it is typically able to break solid waste materials into pieces just under two inches wide, compact enough to pass through basic residential plumbing lines for disposal. Grinder pumps typically run on fairly low horsepower as they are typically only handling low volumes of waste on an irregular basis.

Non-clog sewage ejector pumps, on the other hand, are often used for more industrial or commercial applications as the waste material is typically ground down to sizes less than four inches, the average size of commercial or industrial plumbing lines. Non-clog systems are also able to handle a higher volume of waste processing, typically not required for residential applications. Non-clog systems also typically have higher horsepower ratings, making them able to not only move larger volumes, but also making them able to push wastes for longer distances, both upwards and outwards, in order to get it to the main sewage lines for further processing.