What a sewage backup is and how it reaches your floor
.A sewage backup means wastewater from the sanitary sewer or your own drain line is coming up through a floor drain, toilet, tub or shower. The water is Category 3. That means it can carry bacteria and other contaminants, and it is handled differently from a burst pipe.
A blockage stops the flow, and the wastewater rises to the lowest opening in the house, often a basement bath, laundry drain or floor drain.
This page covers sewage. A flooded basement with clean water is on basement water damage cleanup, and flood water from a creek is on flood damage restoration.
Who to call first in Bothell
.The City of Bothell says several districts operate in and around the city, so your sewer provider depends on your address. The city's utilities page has a find-your-provider link for sewer service. Northshore Utility District serves parts of Bothell. Alderwood Water and Wastewater District lists Canyon Park and North Creek in its service area.
Northshore Utility District says it maintains the sewer in the public right of way, treats piping on private property as the owner's responsibility and says most backups start in private plumbing. Its website lists a 24-hour line for backup emergencies. Call your district first so it can check the main, then a plumber for the private line, then us for cleanup.
Sewage safety: what to do in the first hour
.- Stop using water. Do not flush, run the washer or use sinks, because every drain feeds the same line.
- Keep children, pets and anyone with an open wound out of the area.
- Do not turn power on or off while standing in water. Cut power at the panel only if you can reach it dry.
- Call your sewer district, then the 24/7 line. Do not run a shop vacuum on sewage, because it can spray fine droplets.
Signs and what they mean
.Water gurgles and a drain slows
A blockage is forming. Stop using water and call your district or a plumber before it rises.
Dark water in a floor drain or tub
The line has backed up. Treat it as Category 3 even if the volume is small.
Sewer smell with no visible water
A dry trap or a cracked pipe. Do not ignore it.
Sewage in your Bothell home?
Call the 24/7 line. A person answers and tells you what is safe to do while you wait.
What we remove and what we clean
.Porous materials that sewage soaked cannot be made safe, so they go. That means carpet, pad, soft drywall, insulation and particleboard cabinet bases. Hard, nonporous surfaces like concrete, tile and sealed wood can be cleaned and disinfected.
Protect the crew and the house
Crews wear gloves, boots and protective clothing, and we close doors and cover vents to limit spread.
Extract the liquid
Pumps and extractors remove the water. Waste goes in sealed bags.
Remove porous materials
Carpet, pad, wet drywall and insulation are cut out and bagged. A wall is opened back to dry, solid material.
Clean and disinfect
Surfaces are cleaned first because soil blocks a disinfectant. Then an EPA-registered product is applied and kept wet for the contact time on the label.
Dry and verify
Air movers and dehumidifiers dry the structure. Readings are logged each visit.
On disinfectants, the EPA says registered products are verified to work according to their label directions and that a surface should stay visibly wet for the whole contact time. It also says registration is not an endorsement of one product over another. We follow the label and make no wider claim.
What affects the cost of sewage backup cleanup
We explain scope and price before work starts. These factors usually decide it.
Volume and area
More floor area covered means more removal and disposal.
Materials affected
Carpet and drywall come out, hard floors can be cleaned.
Drying days
Wet framing and slab need monitoring.
Rebuild
Replacing what was removed is a separate scope.
The plumber's work on the line is a separate bill from cleanup.
Insurance and who pays
.The Washington insurance commissioner lists sewer backup and sump pump overflow among optional endorsements to ask your agent about, so a standard policy may not include them. If the district's main is found at fault, ask the district how it handles claims. We document the damage in photographs and notes for either conversation. Your policy and the facts decide coverage.
Mistakes that make it worse
.- Running water to flush the line. It adds to the volume.
- Letting carpet sit for days. The EPA says to remove what has been wet for more than 24 to 48 hours in flood contamination.
- Treating it as a drying job only. Contaminated porous material has to come out first. After that, structural drying and dehumidification finishes the job.
The same line serves Kenmore and Lynnwood. Our approach to sewage losses follows the published reference ANSI/IICRC S500, which we cite as a reference standard and not as a certification. Plumbing repair stays with a licensed plumber.
Common questions about sewage backup cleanup
Yes. The dispatch line is answered 24/7, including nights, weekends and holidays. We offer same-day response when available and do not promise an arrival time.
Call your sewer district first so it can check its main. If the district says the problem is on your property, a plumber clears the line. Call us as soon as possible for cleanup, because contaminated materials should not sit.
A small spill on a hard floor can be cleaned with detergent and a bleach solution while wearing gloves and boots. Soaked carpet, drywall and anything large should be handled by a professional.
Rarely. Public Health Seattle and King County says saturated carpet and pad should be removed. A licensed carpet cleaner may treat carpet that was only lightly touched.
No. A flood is surface water. A sewage backup is wastewater coming up from the sewer or your drain line. The insurance treatment can differ.