Removing sewage that has backed up through a floor drain, toilet or basement fixture in Colorado Springs and El Paso County, and cleaning and disinfecting the space.
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Sewage that has come back up through a drain is contaminated water, and it must be handled as such from the first minute. The area is cleared of people and pets, the water is removed with protective equipment, porous material that it touched is removed and the hard surfaces are cleaned and disinfected. The cause of the backup is a separate question for a plumber or the sewer provider.
A sewer backup is a reversal of the normal flow. Water and waste that should leave a house through its drain line come back up through a floor drain, a basement toilet or a shower, and they spread across the floor and into the walls. The water carries bacteria and other contaminants, and it is treated as a health hazard from the moment it appears. The first priority is to keep people and pets out of the water and to stop any further flow.
The cleanup of a backup has two parts that run in order. The water is removed and the material it touched is taken out, and then the space is cleaned, disinfected and dried. A backup that is cleaned only on the surface leaves contaminated material in the wall and under the floor, where it can cause illness and odour long after the floor looks clean.
Sewage is a health hazard. Wear gloves, boots, eye protection and a respirator for the work, and wash hands and any exposed skin with soap and water after contact. Do not use a household vacuum on the water. Keep children and pets out of the area, and do not eat or drink in the affected room.
People and pets are kept out of the affected area, and any fixture that feeds the drain is not used. The crew stops the flow where it can, and the sewer provider or a plumber is called to clear or check the line.
Protective clothing, gloves, boots, eye protection and a respirator are worn for the removal. The area is ventilated, and the work is kept to the affected room so the contamination does not spread to the rest of the house.
The water is extracted with equipment that is dedicated to the contaminated work. Carpet, pad, cardboard, drywall to the water line and insulation are removed and bagged, because they cannot be disinfected to a safe level.
Concrete, tile, metal and sealed surfaces are cleaned with a detergent and then disinfected with a product suited to the surface. The cleaning is done in sequence from the cleanest area to the most contaminated, and the wash water is removed as it is produced.
Once the surfaces are clean, the space is dried with air movers and a dehumidifier to the dry standard. The removed material, the disinfection and the readings are recorded, and the record goes to the homeowner and to the insurer.
Because the water carries waste and bacteria, and the material it touches must be removed or disinfected, not simply dried. A supply leak is clean water, and a sewage backup is a health hazard.
The porous material that sewage touches cannot be cleaned to a safe level, so carpet, pad, drywall and insulation are removed. The hard surfaces are cleaned and disinfected, and the protective equipment worn by the crew is matched to the hazard.
The handling of contaminated water is a matter of health and not only of appearance. A room that looks clean after a backup can still hold contamination in its joints and under its floor, so the disinfection is part of the job, not an add-on.
Often not by default. Sewer and drain backup is commonly excluded from standard homeowner policies and can be added by endorsement, and the policy wording decides.
A standard homeowner policy typically excludes backup through a sewer or a drain unless an endorsement is in place. The endorsement and its limit should be read before a backup, not after. The Colorado Division of Insurance regulates insurers in Colorado and takes complaints about how claims are handled.
Photograph the backup, keep the removed material until the insurer has seen it and note the time and the cause. The plumber or the sewer provider should write down the cause of the backup in a report.
A backwater valve on the line, a clear floor drain, a working sump where one exists and a clear cleanout are the common checks. Storm-driven backups are harder to prevent, and the plumber can advise on the options.
A backwater valve closes when water tries to flow back into the house, and it is installed by a plumber. A floor drain that is clear of debris and has water in its trap is the simplest protection. The main cleanout should be found and opened to check for a blockage.
Do not run water through a drain that has backed up until the blockage is cleared, because the water will rise again. The cleanup records the state of the drain and the valve for the homeowner to follow up.
It can be, if the work is done poorly or the area is re-entered too early. Children, pets and anyone with a weak immune system should stay out until the area is cleaned and dried.
Sewage can carry bacteria and viruses, and contact with it can cause illness. The affected area is kept closed off until the cleanup is complete and the readings are dry. Clothing that touched the water should be washed separately in hot water.
If anyone in the household feels unwell after contact with sewage, a doctor should be seen and the exposure mentioned. This page does not give medical advice.
After a sewer backup the homeowner keeps the plumber's report of the cause, the photographs of the drain and the cleanout, the list of removed material and the disinfection record.
After a sewer backup the homeowner keeps the plumber's report of the cause, the photographs of the drain and the cleanout, the list of removed material and the disinfection record. Those four documents show what caused the backup, what was done about it and what was removed, and they answer most of the questions an insurer raises about a sewage loss.
The most common sewer backup in a home with a basement. Water rises through the floor drain and spreads across the slab. The cleanup covers the slab, the lower wall and any stored items near the drain, and the drain is checked for the cause.
A toilet or shower on a lower level can overflow when the main line is blocked. The water is contaminated and reaches the adjoining floor and wall. The fixture is shut off and the line is cleared before the cleanup is complete.
Heavy rain can overload the sewer system and push water back into the house through the lowest drain. The cleanup is the same as any backup, and the event is recorded with the date and the weather, which the insurer will ask for.
Basements in Colorado Springs that have a floor drain are the most common place for a backup to appear, and the drain is the first thing to check after a storm.
Storm-driven rain can overload a sewer system and push water back into a lower drain, and a backup after a heavy storm is a pattern that homeowners in the city have seen. The date and weather of the event are the record for the claim.
Older homes may have sewer lines of a material or age that is more prone to blockage. The plumber can read the line with a camera to find the cause, and that report is useful for the insurer.
Tell us what's happening and we'll tell you honestly whether it's a quick fix, and what sewer backup cleanup should cost.
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
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Small hard surfaces can be cleaned with care, but porous material that sewage has touched is generally removed, and the protective equipment is needed. A larger backup is best left to a company that does this work.
Usually not. Carpet and pad that have been wet with sewage are generally removed, because they cannot be disinfected to a safe level.
As soon as the backup is seen and the water is stopped. The plumber clears the line and checks it for the cause before the drain is used again.
It depends on the policy. Sewer and drain backup is often excluded unless an endorsement is in place. The insurer decides each claim on the policy wording.