The short answer
Immediate Actions to Take
If sewage backs up into your home, your first priority is safety. Stay out of the contaminated water and turn off electricity to the affected area if you can do so safely. Keep children and pets far away from the area. Then, if it is safe, stop the source of the backup by shutting off your home's main water valve.
Contact local water damage pros immediately for emergency water extraction and sanitation. While you wait, ventilate the area by opening windows if possible. Do not attempt to clean the sewage yourself. The water contains harmful bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens that pose a severe health risk through contact or even airborne particles.
The Professional Cleanup Process
The pros follow a strict remediation process designed for safety and thoroughness. They extract all standing contaminated water using industrial pumps and vacuums. Next, they remove any porous materials that cannot be properly cleaned, such as saturated carpet, padding, and drywall. This step is critical to eliminate the primary sources of contamination and odor.
After removal, they perform a deep clean and disinfect all affected surfaces using EPA-registered antimicrobial agents. The entire area is then meticulously dried using air movers and dehumidifiers to prevent secondary damage like mold growth. This process often involves water damage inspection and moisture mapping to ensure no hidden pockets of moisture remain.
What Items Can Be Saved
Determining what can be salvaged depends on the material's porosity and the level of contamination. Porous items that have absorbed sewage, such as mattresses, upholstered furniture, and particle board, are almost always discarded. These materials cannot be fully sanitized and will harbor dangerous microbes, posing an ongoing health hazard.
For items of high sentimental or monetary value, consult with the restoration professionals. They can advise on specialized cleaning methods. However, the guiding principle is safety first. When in doubt, it is usually safest to dispose of an item to protect your household from illness.
- Non-porous hard surfaces like metal, glass, and hard plastics.
- Some sealed wood furniture after professional cleaning and drying.
- Certain appliances if their internal components were not submerged.
- Valuable documents or items after specialized document recovery processes.
- Area rugs that are professionally cleaned and sanitized off-site.
- Concrete or tile flooring after proper extraction and disinfection.
Health Risks and Safety Gear
Sewage contains a dangerous mix of pathogens from human waste, including E. Coli, Salmonella, Hepatitis, and parasites. Exposure can occur through direct skin contact, accidentally ingesting contaminated droplets, or inhaling aerosolized particles. This can lead to gastrointestinal illness, skin infections, respiratory problems, and other serious diseases. Always treat sewage as a major biohazard.
Professionals handling the cleanup wear full personal protective equipment (PPE). This includes waterproof boots, gloves, goggles, and respirators with P100 filters. As a homeowner, you should avoid the area entirely. If you must enter briefly for an essential task, wear rubber gloves, boots, and an N95 mask, and wash thoroughly afterward. See a doctor if you feel unwell.
Cost and Insurance Considerations
The cost for professional sewage backup cleanup varies widely, often ranging from several thousand to tens of thousands of dollars. It depends on the volume of water, the area affected, the materials involved, and the required level of sanitation. Extensive damage to a finished basement will cost significantly more than a small backup in a utility room.
Check your homeowner's insurance policy immediately. Some policies cover sudden, accidental sewer backups, while others require a specific endorsement or rider. Policies vary, and your insurer decides what is covered. Document the damage with photos and videos before cleanup begins, and keep all receipts for any work done.
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Call Now (208) 537-2633Frequently asked questions
Can I clean a sewage backup myself?
It is strongly discouraged due to severe health risks. Proper cleanup requires industrial equipment, professional-grade disinfectants, and protective gear. DIY attempts often leave behind contaminants, leading to mold and illness. Hiring local water damage pros ensures safe, complete remediation.
How long does sewage cleanup take?
The timeline depends on the extent of the damage. A small backup may be cleaned and dried in a few days. Larger floods affecting structural materials can take a week or more for full demolition, cleaning, and drying before repairs can even start.
Will my home smell after sewage cleanup?
Professional sanitation should eliminate the odor. If a smell persists, it often indicates remaining contaminated materials or moisture. The pros use air scrubbers with HEPA and carbon filters during cleanup and can perform follow-up inspections to find and address any lingering sources.