Removal and cleaning of sewer backup from floors, drains and low rooms, with contaminated materials handled first.
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Sewer backup cleanup removes wastewater that has come up through floor drains, toilets or basement fixtures, and handles the contaminated materials it touched. Augusta Water Damage Restoration answers at any hour for Augusta and nearby towns, and a technician clears and disinfects the area before drying.
Sewer water is not like a supply-line leak. It comes from drains and toilets, and it carries waste, bacteria and whatever else has entered the drain system. A backup usually rises through the lowest drain in a house, such as a basement floor drain, a laundry sink or a shower on a lower level, and it spreads across the floor before the homeowner has time to react. Every surface it touches is treated as contaminated until it has been cleaned.
The reason a backup happens varies. A blockage in the line that serves the house can push water back toward the fixtures, and a heavy storm can overload a line that is already full. Whether the water came from the house or from the public line is a question for the plumber, and the technician notes where the water first appeared so that the plumber has a clear starting point.
The cleanup is a health-first job. Contaminated materials are removed where they cannot be cleaned, surfaces that stay are cleaned and disinfected, and the structure is dried only after the cleaning is done. Wet material that is left in place after a sewer backup keeps the contamination alive in the structure, which is why the order of the work matters.
Do not enter sewer water without protective gear, and do not run any drain in the house until the plumber or technician says it is safe. Do not mix bleach or any other chemical with another cleaner, because the mix can release harmful fumes. Keep children and pets away from the affected room, and wash thoroughly after any contact with the water.
A floor drain is the lowest point of many basements, so a backup often starts there and spreads across the floor. The water reaches the walls and the stored items near the drain. The technician checks the walls to the height of the water line, and the drain and its trap are reviewed by the plumber.
A toilet, shower or laundry sink on a lower level can overflow when the line behind it backs up. The water is usually confined to one room at first, but it can run into the hallway and the rooms beside it. The technician clears the room and checks the walls and the flooring next to the fixture.
When a storm adds water to a line that is already full, the backup may come with rain water and ground water. The mix is contaminated, and the lowest rooms usually take the most water. Stormwater and sewage are handled together in the cleanup, and the technician records what came from where if the source can be seen.
A crew is dispatched as fast as one is available, and you approve the estimate before any work starts.
Yes. Sewer water carries waste and bacteria, so it is treated as unsafe to touch. Avoid contact, wear protective gear and wash thoroughly after any exposure, and let the technician handle the cleanup.
Sewer water contains material from toilets, sinks and drains, and it is not safe to touch or swallow. Keep children and pets out of the area until the cleanup is complete, and keep the room closed while the work is done.
If you have been in contact with sewer water, wash the skin with soap and clean water, and speak to a doctor about any concern you have about your own health. Do not try to clean the area yourself with household chemicals, because mixing them can release harmful fumes.
Porous materials that sewer water has soaked, such as carpet, pad, soft drywall, insulation and paper, are usually removed. Hard surfaces and framing can often be cleaned, disinfected and dried in place.
Porous materials hold contamination in a way that cleaning cannot fully reach. A carpet pad that has soaked up sewer water is a common example, and it is normally removed and replaced. Drywall that has been wet with sewage is usually cut out to a point above the water line.
The technician marks each item, explains the reason and records it. The list is given to you so that you can review the decisions before the work is finished.
Many homeowner policies exclude sewer backup unless it has been added through a separate endorsement, and the wording decides the question. The records from the cleanup show what came up, where it went and what was removed.
A sewer backup is often treated differently from a sudden pipe break, so the policy wording is worth checking before a claim is made. A rider or endorsement may add coverage for backup, and the terms of that rider decide what is covered.
Keep the photographs, the readings, the removal list and the cleaning record. Those documents are the core of any claim, and the insurer will look at them closely.
Usually not for the affected rooms until the cleaning and drying are complete. Other rooms can often be used once the drains are checked, and the technician explains which areas are safe to use during the work.
Keeping people out of the affected rooms protects them from contamination and keeps the work area clear for the technician. Doors should be closed, and children and pets should be kept away until the room is declared clean.
Do not run water down the drains that backed up, and do not flush the toilet on the affected line until the plumber has checked the line. The technician will say when each fixture can be used again.
The depth of the water, the materials it reached, how long it stood and whether it mixed with rain or ground water all change the work. No price is given on the phone, and the figure is explained and approved on site before work begins.
A shallow backup on one hard floor is a different job from water that has reached several rooms and the walls. Porous materials add to the list of items that have to be removed, and each one adds to the work.
The plumber's repair of the line is a separate cost, and it is not part of the cleanup. The technician keeps the two apart so that you can see what each part of the job involves.
Do not run water down any drain in the house until the technician says it is safe. Keep children and pets out of the affected room, and do not walk through the water in bare feet or without protection.
Standing water and any solids are removed from the floor and the drain area. The technician uses equipment and protective gear suited to contaminated water, and the removed water is disposed of according to the work plan.
Carpet, pad, insulation, soft drywall, stored paper and cloth, and porous items that the backup touched are usually removed. The technician records each one and the reason, because those decisions are the ones an insurer will ask about.
Hard floors, the walls, the drain and the fixtures are cleaned and then disinfected. Cleaning comes first, because a disinfectant cannot reach contamination that is still under mud or debris.
Once the surfaces are clean, the structure is dried to readings. The record includes the photographs, the list of removed items, the cleaning steps and the readings, so that the job can be checked later.
Where a house has a basement, a crawl space or a lower-level room with a floor drain, that drain is a common entry point for a backup. The technician checks the drain and the floor around it first, then the walls to the height of the water line.
Sewer and drain repairs in the consolidated area can involve plumbing permits from the Augusta-Richmond County government. A question about a permit for the repair belongs to that office, and in Hephzibah and Blythe the answer comes from the city government instead.
Storm rain and a full sewer line can arrive together, and the mix of water is one reason a backup in the lowest rooms is treated as contaminated even when it looks like rainwater. The technician records the source where it can be seen and treats the whole area as contaminated until it is cleaned.
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
Standing water pumped out of floors, carpet and crawl spaces in Augusta and nearby towns, answered 24/7.
Drying carpet, pad and hardwood floors after water, with readings showing which pieces can stay.
Drying to stop mold growth, and a written scope and checklist before any mold removal work begins.
Water and moisture under a house, read with meters and dried from below before the floor is closed.
It is better not to. Household cleaners do not reach contamination under material, and mixing cleaners can release harmful fumes. The technician uses the cleaning and disinfecting methods suited to the job.
Not until the plumber has checked the line. A toilet that flushes into a blocked or full line can send more water back into the house, so ask the technician before any fixture is used.
The cleaning covers every surface that the backup touched, and the record shows which surfaces were cleaned and disinfected. Materials that cannot be cleaned are removed and listed.
The time depends on how far the water spread, how many materials had to be removed and how long the drying takes. The technician gives an update at each visit, and no completion date is promised on the phone.
Call the line first to stop the damage and start the cleanup. Then contact your insurer, and give them the records from the work. The policy decides what is covered.
A plumber clears or repairs the line. The technician can show where the water came up and which drains were affected, so the plumber knows where to start.