Why sewage needs a crew
Sewage carries bacteria and viruses, and it soaks into anything porous it touches. Carpet, pad, drywall, insulation and upholstered furniture that sewage reached usually cannot be cleaned well enough to keep. A restoration crew wears protective gear, removes the waste, bags and hauls out contaminated materials, then cleans and disinfects the hard surfaces before drying.
Keep kids and pets out of the area. Do not run fans in the room before the crew arrives, since that spreads odor and contaminants through the house.
Right now
- Stop using water anywhere in the house. Every flush, shower and load of laundry goes down the same line and comes out at the lowest drain.
- Keep away from the water unless you have rubber boots and gloves.
- Close the door to the area if you can.
- Take photos for your insurance claim.
- If you have a sewer backup endorsement on your policy, find the paperwork. Many people do not know whether they have it.
Sewer backups around Ogden
Most backups we hear about come from the home's own sewer lateral, the pipe that runs from the house to the city main. In older parts of Ogden, many laterals are clay or cast iron. Clay joints let roots in, and the big street trees in neighborhoods like Jefferson, the East Central blocks and the streets around Weber State have had a long time to find them. Cast iron rusts and scales up inside until the pipe narrows.
When the lateral clogs, the lowest drain in the house overflows first. In Ogden that is almost always a basement floor drain, a basement shower or a basement toilet. People often notice a gurgling toilet or a slow tub for days before the backup.
Less often, the city main backs up during heavy runoff or a big storm, and water pushes into homes through the lateral. A backwater valve on the lateral can block that, and some older homes do not have one.
The company you reach will clean up the sewage and dry the space. Many also work with plumbers who can run a camera down the line to find the cause, so ask about that when you call. Crews cover Ogden, Riverdale, South Ogden, Roy and North Ogden.