Sewage and toilet overflow cleanup

Toilet overflow or sewer backup

A toilet tank leak is clean water. A bowl overflow without feces is gray water. A bowl with feces, a backed up main line, or water coming up a shower drain is sewage. The category decides what stays. Gray water left for long turns worse, and warm valley houses speed that up.

Your first steps

• Keep kids and pets out of the area.
• Stop flushing and stop running water anywhere in the house.
• Do not touch outlets or cords while standing in the water.
• Call a plumber to clear the line, then call us for the cleanup.

How the cleanup runs

1. Contain

   Plastic and closed doors keep the work area separate.

2. Remove

   Carpet, pad, baseboard and drywall below the wet line, bagged and hauled.

3. Clean

   Hard surfaces cleaned and disinfected.

4. Dry

   To the dry standard, with readings logged.

5. Rebuild

   Drywall, texture, baseboard and paint.

Insurance and sewer backup

Sewer backup is not covered by a typical home policy unless you bought it as an add on. A toilet supply line that bursts is often treated as sudden discharge instead. Check the exact wording and keep your photos.