Sewage Backup Cleanup Stay out of it. Keep them upstairs.
Sewage is Category 3 water. Keep kids and pets upstairs, stay out of it and call us.
What Leticia called about.
Leticia Martes wrote that a drain pipe was clogged and the basement needed to be sanitized.
A newborn less than 10 days old was in the house.
The review says Roddy sanitized the whole basement and cleaned everything.
Old garbage stored down there for years went out as well.
That is what this work is: the water is the start, and the cleaning is the job.
Sewage backflow is Category 3 under the S500, the trade’s class for grossly contaminated water.
EPA says if damage “was caused by sewage or other contaminated water, then call in a professional”.
It came up a drain, not through a wall.
- 01
Water at the floor drain
Dark water or solids rising from the lowest drain means a backup, not a leak.
- 02
Every drain slowing at once
Slow sinks and gurgling toilets on several floors point to a blockage further down.
- 03
Trouble when the washer runs
Water at the drain on laundry day points to a line that cannot carry the load.
- 04
A sewer smell with nothing wet
Stored boxes can hide a wet floor. If it smells like gas, leave and call the gas utility or 911.
Clear it, sanitize it, then dry it.
- 1
Upstairs, then call
Send kids and pets up, stay out of it and call (888) 929-0245 to say what came up and where.
- 2
Clear what it touched
Standing waste goes first, along with wet material and anything too soaked to clean.
- 3
Sanitize the space
Floors, walls and whatever stays in the room get cleaned and sanitized, not just mopped.
- 4
Dry it out
With the room clean, air movers and dehumidifiers run until the readings settle.
Sanitized, and the old garbage gone too.
Call about the main too.
If the backup may be in the street, report it to your city or town so they can check the main.
That report gets the main looked at, and your basement is a separate call.
Not sure who handles your line? Tell us what you are seeing and ask who to call.
Either way, keep the drains in the house quiet until someone knows where the blockage is.
I had an emergency where a drain pipe was clogged and needed to be cleaned and my basement needed to be sanitized...
On this one, people ask.
What do I do until someone looks at it?
Stay out of it, and keep kids and pets upstairs.
Hold off on sinks, toilets and the washer, since that water can come up the same drain.
Stay out of standing water if outlets, appliances or the panel may be wet.
Can I just bleach it and mop?
We would ask you not to.
Bleach on the floor does not reach what soaked into drywall, carpet or paneling.
Mopping also puts you in the water, and that is the part to avoid.
Does a homeowners policy cover sewer backup?
Check your policy, because sewer backup usually needs its own endorsement.
We cannot tell you what yours covers.
Your agent can read it with you.
Other water damage we take on.
- Basement Water DamageThe floor drain, the laundry corner, the rec room carpet.
- Water Damage RestorationThe whole wet house: walls, ceilings, floors and what sits behind them.
- Flood Damage CleanupStorm water, street water and groundwater, cleaned out and dried.
- Broken Pipes Water DamageSplit supply lines, freezing nights, water through the ceiling.
Tell Roddy what happened.
Call if water is still moving.
Otherwise send the short version here, and we will call you back.
A photo by text helps if you have one.