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Sewage backup cleanup · Category 3 water
Sewage Backup Cleanup in Bucks, Montgomery, Delaware & Philadelphia Counties
Sewage coming up through a floor drain, toilet or basement shower is the one water loss you should not touch yourself. It is Category 3 water under the IICRC S500 standard: contaminated with pathogens and requiring removal, disinfection and disposal, not just drying. We handle it the way the standard requires and document it for your claim.
When to call
Why backups happen around Philadelphia
Combined sewers in heavy rain
Older Philadelphia and inner-ring systems carry storm and sanitary flow together and surcharge in big storms.
Tree roots in the lateral
Clay laterals under older yards crack and roots fill them. Backups recur until the lateral is repaired.
Municipal main blockage
When the street main backs up, every connected basement is at risk. The township is often responsible.
Failed backwater valve
Or no valve at all. A properly installed one is the best protection you can buy.
Grease and wipes
Flushable wipes are not. They are the number one cause of residential sewer blockages.
Sump discharge tied to sanitary
Illegal in most municipalities and a common cause of backups during storms.
What we do
What sewage cleanup involves
Safety and isolation
PPE, containment, and HVAC shut down so contamination does not move through the house.
Removal
Sewage and solids pumped and extracted; all porous materials that contacted it are removed and bagged.
Disinfection
EPA-registered antimicrobials applied to every affected surface, including the slab and framing.
Disposal
Contaminated materials disposed of properly, with documentation.
Drying and odor
Structural drying with daily readings, and odor treatment for what disinfection alone does not remove.
Rebuild
Finished basements restored after clearance.
How it works
Our process
01
Call
Keep people and pets out.
02
Isolate
Containment and PPE.
03
Remove
Sewage and porous materials out.
04
Disinfect and dry
Treated and dried to standard.
05
Rebuild
Finishes restored.
Insurance
Sewer backup coverage is an add-on
Standard homeowner policies exclude sewer and drain backup. A sewer backup endorsement, often $50 to $150 a year, covers it. If you do not have one, ask your agent today. If the cause was a municipal main, the township or authority may be liable; we document the cause either way.
Questions
Sewage backup FAQs
Is sewage backup covered by homeowners insurance?
Only with a sewer or drain backup endorsement. Most policies exclude it by default. We document the cause so you can file against your policy or the municipality, whichever applies.
Can I clean up a small sewage backup myself?
We recommend against it. Even a small amount carries bacteria and viruses, and anything porous it touched (carpet, drywall, cardboard) needs to be removed, not cleaned.
How do you get rid of the smell?
Remove the contaminated materials, disinfect every surface, dry the structure, then treat odor. If the smell remains, something contaminated is still there.
How do I stop it from happening again?
A backwater valve on the main line, a camera inspection of your lateral, and never tying sump discharge into the sanitary line. We can refer a plumber for the valve.
Service areas
Sewage backup cleanup across Greater Philadelphia
Sewage in the basement?
Stay out of it. Call us now.