Sewage that comes up through drains is handled as contaminated water, with its own safety steps and its own cleanup.
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Sewer backup cleanup is the removal of sewage-contaminated water that has come up through floor drains, toilets, tubs or sewer connections into a building. It is handled separately from clean water, with extra protective steps, removal of the affected materials and sanitizing before drying. Ankeny Water Damage Restoration connects Ankeny callers with a local crew for this work at any hour.
A sewer backup is one of the few water losses where the water itself is the first hazard. It carries waste from the sewer line, and it can be in the basement floor, the laundry area or the bottom of a shower stall. The cleanup is not simply a matter of pumping and drying. The water has to be handled as contaminated, the people in the building have to be protected, and the materials it touched have to be decided on in a different way from clean water.
Backups happen when the sewer line or its connection to the street is blocked or overloaded, or when the outflow is pushed back by water in the main line. Heavy rain can push more water into the system than it was designed to carry, and water can then come up through the lowest drain in the house. This is why a backup can appear in a basement during a storm even with no leak anywhere in the building.
If sewage is coming up through a drain or pooling on the floor, keep everyone out of the area and call (833) 490-5225. The water damage line is answered at any hour. Do not run water in the house, do not use the drain, and do not try to pump the water yourself. A crew can then come in with the right protective equipment and begin the removal.
Sewage water carries bacteria, viruses and waste, so it is a health hazard and must be handled with protective equipment. Materials it touches cannot always be cleaned to a safe standard, so more has to be removed. Clean water leaks can usually be dried in place, but sewage often cannot.
A clean water leak from a supply line is a question of moisture. A sewage backup is a question of contamination as well as moisture. The water can carry pathogens that stay on surfaces, and porous materials hold them in a way that makes them difficult to clean. That is why the decision about what to keep is different.
Protection comes first on these calls. The crew wears gloves, boots, eye protection and whatever else the job calls for, and it limits the spread of the water by isolating the area. Anyone in the house who is not part of the cleanup should stay out of the affected rooms until the work is finished.
The number of fixtures involved, the depth of the water, the materials it touched and how long it stood all change the scope. Porous materials that stood in sewage usually have to come out. Each decision is explained on site before the work starts, and no dollar figure is given here.
The fixtures involved set the reach of the water. A single floor drain may affect only the area around it. A backup through several fixtures, or through a main line, affects more of the lower level and usually more materials.
Materials decide most of the rest. Carpet, pad, insulation, paper-faced drywall and some stored items that stood in sewage usually cannot be made safe and have to be removed. Hard surfaces such as sealed concrete or tile can often be cleaned and sanitized. The crew sorts each item and records its decision.
It is not recommended. Sewage carries hazards that need protective equipment and a safe method of disposal. A homeowner who cleans it without protection risks exposure, and a cleanup that leaves contaminated materials in place can cause a problem later. A crew should handle the water and the removal.
Even a small backup can carry hazards that a household cleaner does not address. Water splashed onto hands, face or clothing, or breathed in as spray, is a risk. Carpet and pad that have soaked up sewage hold the contamination and release it when disturbed.
The safe steps before a crew arrives are the same as the steps for any hazard: keep people and pets out of the area, shut the door, stop running water into the house and wait. A crew can then remove the water, the solids and the materials that cannot be kept.
A backwater valve on the sewer line, clear drains, careful use of the lowest fixtures during heavy rain and a plumbing check of the line can reduce the risk. The right fix depends on where the blockage or outflow problem is. A plumber should advise on a valve or a line repair, because that work is outside a cleanup.
Heavy rain is one common trigger for a backup that comes up through a low drain. Limiting water use during a storm, such as running the washing machine or the dishwasher, reduces the load on the line while it is under pressure. Drains that are slow should be cleared before a storm rather than during one.
A backwater valve is a device that lets water out of the house while stopping it from flowing back in. Whether one is appropriate depends on the building and the sewer connection, and a plumber can advise. The cleanup crew can note the conditions it saw on the call, which the plumber may find useful.
Do not enter a room with sewage standing on the floor without protective gloves, boots and eye protection, and do not touch any item that has been in contact with it without them. Do not run the washing machine, dishwasher or showers while a drain is backing up, and do not use a plunger on a drain that is pushing sewage up. Keep children and pets out of the area. Wash hands and any exposed skin well after contact, and do not eat or drink in the affected area.
The first instruction is to keep everyone out of the affected area and to stop using the water and the drains in the house. Sewage backed up through a drain will continue to rise if more water goes down the line. The crew confirms that the backup is contained before anyone enters.
Sewage water is handled with gloves, boots, eye protection and other protective equipment. The affected area is isolated from the rest of the house, often with barriers and negative air where needed. Electrical equipment in the wet area is checked before anything is plugged in.
Standing sewage is removed by pump or extractor and discharged to an approved point. Solids and paper are removed by hand where they are found. The discharge is handled carefully so that the water does not spread to other rooms or to the yard.
Porous materials that have been in sewage, such as carpet, pad, insulation, drywall at the base, paper-faced board and some stored items, usually cannot be reliably cleaned. The crew sorts each material and explains what is removed and why. Hard, non-porous surfaces can often be cleaned and sanitized in place.
Surfaces that remain are cleaned and sanitized, and the room is then dried to measured levels. Drying is not started until the sewage has been removed, because the drying equipment would otherwise spread the contaminated moisture through the house.
A single drain that backs up usually points to a blockage near that drain or a problem in its branch line. The crew checks the drain and its trap, then looks at whether other fixtures are affected. The cleanup covers the floor and the wall base around the drain, and the affected area is kept small where possible.
When several fixtures back up at once, the problem is usually in the main sewer line or its connection to the street. That is a plumbing and sewer-system question, and a plumber should check the line before the cleanup is closed out. The crew notes which fixtures were affected and where the water went.
Storm-driven backups happen when water from the street or the storm system pushes into the sewer or the drain. They tend to come back during the next heavy rain if the cause is not found. The crew records the timing against the weather, which helps whoever checks the line later.
A sump pit can take in sewage if its connection is open to the drainage system. Water in the pit that smells of sewage is treated as contaminated, and the pump is not run until the connection has been checked. The crew explains how the pit and the drain are linked before any work starts.
Call any hour and explain what is going on. You get a clear price before any work starts.
A sewer backup in Ankeny is a sewer question first and a cleanup question second. The crew needs to know whether the backup is limited to one drain or is coming from the main line, because that decides whether the cleanup can stop at the fixture or has to wait for the line to be repaired.
Heavy rain across Polk County can load a sewer system during a storm, and some backups are tied to the weather rather than to a blockage in the house. The crew records the rainfall and the time of the backup where it can be recorded, because a backup that repeats in each storm points to the system rather than to one drain.
Ankeny is one of several communities in the Des Moines metro, where the regional rivers and creeks drain. A backup that comes during a flood or a heavy storm may be one of several water problems on the same day, and the crew checks the lower level for clean water as well as sewage before it finishes.
When a sump pit overflows or stops, the basement floor takes the water, and the drying starts after the pump is fixed.
Rain that enters a basement through walls, floor joints or window wells needs fast removal and a measured dry.
Mold found after a water loss is removed once the structure is dry, and the moisture behind it is fixed first.
Photos, moisture logs and a written scope are kept on every visit, so the insurer and the crew see the same facts.
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
After Raccoon River flooding, the first steps are to keep people out of the water, make the power safe, photograph the damage and get standing water removed before drying begins.
A water damage insurance claim in Iowa is decided by the policy and by the facts of the loss.
Coverage for sewer backup often depends on a separate endorsement, and the policy's wording decides what is included. Standard policies commonly differ from flood coverage on this point. The insurer makes the decision for your claim. Keep photographs and a record of what was removed.
Carpet and pad that have soaked up sewage usually cannot be cleaned to a safe standard and are removed. Hard, non-porous surfaces may be cleaned and sanitized. The crew sorts each item and explains its decision before anything leaves the house.
A backup that repeats usually points to the drain line, the main sewer or the connection to the street. The cleanup removes the water and contamination but does not repair the line. A plumber should check the line once the cleanup is complete.
No. Flushing or running water can push more sewage up through the lowest drain. Stop using the toilets, sinks, showers and washing machine until the line has been checked. Use an alternative toilet if one is available.
Surfaces that were in contact with sewage should be cleaned and sanitized before they are dried and rebuilt. The method depends on the surface, and porous materials are usually removed rather than sanitized. The crew explains the method for each area.
The sewer line is repaired by a plumber or by the sewer provider, depending on where the blockage or damage is. The cleanup crew removes the water and contaminated materials. A plumber should be called for the line, and the crew can share its record of the backup with them.