Sewage is Category 3 water under the IICRC S500 standard: it carries bacteria and other contaminants that can make people sick. It usually comes up through a drain on the bottom floor, often a shower, a toilet, or a floor drain. The cause is a clog or roots in your own sewer line, or a problem in the public main.
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This isn't a mop-and-bleach job. Carpet, pad, and the bottom of the drywall that sewage touched generally have to come out. The area is closed off so contamination doesn't spread, then cleaned, disinfected, and dried.
Water category:Category 3 (black water)
Step 1
Plastic barriers and negative air pressure keep contamination inside the affected area.
Step 2
Contaminated porous materials are removed and bagged. Hard surfaces stay if they can be cleaned.
Step 3
Floors, framing, and remaining surfaces are cleaned and treated with an EPA-registered disinfectant.
Step 4
Dehumidifiers and air movers dry the structure once it's clean, with HEPA air scrubbing as needed.
Step 5
The crew records the source, the affected area, and moisture readings for your insurer.
Local notes
If sewage may be coming from the public line, report it the same day. Inside Marietta city limits, call 770-794-5230. In unincorporated Cobb, Cobb County Water's emergency dispatch at 770-419-6201 takes sewer backups. Note the time you called; your insurer and the utility may both ask.
Insurance
Sewer and drain backups are excluded from a basic homeowners policy. They're covered only if you added a water backup endorsement, which often has its own limit. If the backup came from a public main, the utility may have its own claims process. Check your declarations page before you assume either way.
Read the Georgia water damage insurance guideNo honest company can price this over the phone. These are the things the crew measures on site. Read the full cost guide.
Get a crew out to inspect it
An IICRC-certified crew measures the damage, explains the scope, and documents it for your insurer. You decide whether to go ahead.
(470) 305-6747Or estimate your drying scope firstCall your water and sewer utility first. Inside Marietta city limits, the city's water emergency number is 770-794-5230. In unincorporated Cobb, Cobb County Water's emergency dispatch at 770-419-6201 takes sewer backups. Then call us for the cleanup inside the house.
Often, if the backup is limited to one area, you keep people and pets away from it, and you don't use the plumbing until it's cleared. Young children, pregnant people, and anyone with a weakened immune system should stay away from the area entirely.
Not on its own. Sewer and drain backups are excluded unless you added a water backup endorsement, which often has its own limit. Look for "water backup" on your declarations page.
