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Sewage Backup Cleanup in Lafayette, LA

Contained cleanup of sewage that has come up through a drain, toilet or floor drain, with the room closed off and the materials assessed.

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  • Flooded homes, burst pipes and roof leaks
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Sewage Backup

Sewage Backup Cleanup: what it covers

Quick answer

Sewage backup cleanup removes water and waste that have come up through a drain, toilet or floor drain, and treats the affected area as contaminated. The room is closed off, protective gear is used, and porous materials that soaked up the water are removed. Lafayette Water Damage Restoration answers sewage calls in Lafayette and Lafayette Parish 24/7 and sends a crew as soon as one is free.

Sewage Backup Cleanup illustration for Lafayette, LA

Water that comes up through a drain is not clean water. It can carry bacteria, viruses and waste, and it is handled differently from a supply-line leak from the first minute. A room that has taken sewage is closed off, and the people in the building are kept out of it until the crew has finished the first steps.

Sewage backs up when a drain or a main line is blocked or overloaded, and the water comes out at the lowest point of the building. Floor drains, shower drains, toilets and laundry drains are the usual places. The water may stop coming up when the blockage clears, but the material it left still has to be removed.

Call (833) 490-5225 at any hour if sewage is coming up through a drain or a toilet. Keep the people in the building out of the affected room, stop using the toilets and drains that are backing up, and tell the crew which fixture is the source. A crew is sent as soon as one is free, and it does not promise an arrival time.

Service area
Lafayette & Lafayette Parish
Availability
Phones answered 24/7, emergencies first
Warning signs

Signs you need sewage backup cleanup

Do not enter a room with sewage on the floor without protection. Wear rubber gloves, boots, eye protection and a mask. Keep children and pets out of the affected area, and wash your hands and any exposed skin after contact. Do not mix cleaning products, and do not use bleach with ammonia or other chemicals. Do not run a drain or a toilet that is backing up, because it can push more waste into the building.

  • Water coming up through a floor drain, a shower drain, a tub or a toilet with no other source
  • A sewage smell that stays in a room, a bathroom or a laundry area after the water has gone
  • Gurgling in drains or a toilet that empties slowly when other fixtures are used
  • Dark or gray staining on the floor, the lower walls or the baseboards in the affected room
  • Water in a crawl space, cellar or basement that smells of sewage
  • Carpet, pad or a mattress that was in the water and has a strong odor
Job stories

Typical jobs for sewage backup cleanup

Typical job
Illustration: A shower drain backs up into the bathroom floor

A shower drain backs up into the bathroom floor

What homeowners notice
The shower drain in a family bathroom has begun to back up, and dirty water is coming up through the floor drain in the hallway. The owner has closed the bathroom door and asked the household to stop using the drains.
What we do
The crew keeps the bathroom and hallway closed off and wears protective gear before it enters. It stops the flow, removes the contaminated water and the wet floor covering in the affected area, and cleans the hard surfaces with a suitable disinfectant. A drain service is called for the blockage in the line, and the crew confirms the line is clear before the room is returned to use.
What to expect
The bathroom and hallway are dried and checked, the removed materials are listed in the record, and the owner receives the readings and the drain service's confirmation to keep with the file.

3-4 hours typical visit

Options

Types and options for sewage backup cleanup

A floor drain or a shower drain

A floor drain that backs up usually leaves a small area wet, but the water can run under the floor covering and into the wall base. The crew removes the wet floor covering at the drain, cleans the area and dries the subfloor. The drain itself is checked by a drain service where the blockage is in the line.

A toilet that has overflowed or backed up

A toilet that backs up sends water across the bathroom floor and can reach the rooms beside it. The crew closes the bathroom, removes the affected flooring and the lower wall, and dries the room. The toilet is not used until the drain has been cleared and the crew has confirmed the line is open.

A main line that backs up into the building

A main line that backs up affects the lowest drains in the building first. The water can rise in several rooms at once. The crew works from the lowest point, but the blockage in the main line is a job for a drain service, and the crew explains what that service must do before the building can be used.

A crawl space or cellar that took sewage

Sewage that reaches a crawl space or a cellar leaves material on the joists, the insulation and the ground. The crew treats the space as contaminated, removes what cannot be cleaned, and dries the framing. The space is checked before anyone is allowed to work in it without protection.

One call and it gets handled.

A crew is dispatched as fast as one is available, and you approve the estimate before any work starts.

Call (833) 490-5225Get a quote

Why is sewage treated differently from clean water?

Sewage carries bacteria, viruses and waste, so everything it touched has to be treated as contaminated. Porous materials that soak it up cannot be cleaned to a safe standard, so they are removed, and the work is done with protection in place.

Clean water from a supply line can often be pumped out and dried in place. Sewage cannot, because the materials it reaches keep the contamination. Carpet, pad and drywall that soaked up sewage are removed, and hard surfaces are cleaned and then dried.

The water category is the reason for this. The crew assesses the water first, and it treats the area as contaminated until it has been cleaned and dried. That decision is explained to the owner on site.

Who is at risk in a room that had sewage?

Children, older adults, people with weakened immune systems and anyone with an open wound are most at risk around sewage. Anyone who has to enter the room should wear protection and keep the affected area closed off.

Keep these people out of the room until the crew has finished the first steps and has told you the area is safe to enter. Pets should be kept out too, because they can carry the contamination on their coats and paws.

If anyone develops a fever, vomiting, diarrhea or a skin wound that becomes red or swollen after contact with sewage, see a doctor and tell them about the exposure.

Should I try to clear the drain myself?

A household plunger may clear a simple blockage in a sink or a toilet, but it can push sewage back into the room, and it should not be used once the water is coming up through a floor drain. A blockage in the main line needs a drain service.

Using a plunger or a snake on a backing-up drain can splash contaminated water and waste onto you and the room. If the water is already in the room, stop and call the line. The crew stops the flow and removes the water safely.

A drain service is the right route for a main-line blockage. Ask the service to confirm the line is clear before the building is used again, and keep a record of the work it did.

What can I do to stop the damage spreading?

Stop using the toilets and drains that are backing up, close the room, and keep people and pets out. Photograph the area and the water before anything is moved, and write down the time you noticed the backup.

Closing the door and sealing the gap at the bottom with towels is a simple step that helps keep the contamination in one room. Do not sweep or scrub the water, because that spreads it. Keep a record of what was in the room, with photographs, so the list of losses is complete.

Once the crew arrives, follow its instructions on what to move and what to leave. The crew explains which items can be cleaned and which must be removed, and it keeps the record of each item.

Our process

How our sewage backup cleanup visit works

  1. Close off and protect

    The affected room is closed off from the rest of the building, and the people who live or work there are kept out of it. The crew wears protective equipment before it enters, and it uses the entrance it has planned, so that the contamination stays in one area.

  2. Stop the flow and find the source

    The fixture that is backing up is identified, and the flow is stopped where it is safe to do so. A blockage in a main line is referred to a drain service. The crew does not keep running water into a drain that is backing up.

  3. Remove the water and the waste

    Standing water and waste are removed with equipment suited to contaminated material. Everything that touched the water is handled as contaminated, and the removal is done with the room closed off and the air managed to keep the spread down.

  4. Remove porous material

    Carpet, pad, insulation, drywall and other porous material that soaked up sewage cannot be cleaned to a safe standard, and it is removed. Hard surfaces and framing are cleaned with a disinfectant suited to the job, and they are dried afterwards.

  5. Dry, check and record

    The room is dried with air movers and dehumidifiers, and the readings are taken until the structure is dry. Photographs, a list of what was removed and the readings are kept as the record. The owner gets the record and the advice on what to do next.

Lafayette Parish

Why sewage backup cleanup is different in Lafayette and Acadiana

Sewage backups in Lafayette follow the same pattern as anywhere: the lowest drains reach first and the water comes up through the floor. The crew asks which fixtures are affected and whether the backup is from a single drain or from the main line, because that decides who clears the blockage.

After heavy rain, a drain can back up in Lafayette Parish when outside water overloads the system. The rain history is part of the record for the call, and the crew notes when the backup began in relation to the weather.

Humid weather in the Acadiana region keeps a sewage-damp room wet for longer than a dry one would stay. The crew dries the room with that in mind and reads the moisture until the room is dry, before it is closed up and returned to use.

Where we work

Sewage Backup Cleanup across Lafayette Parish

Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.

Related

Emergency Water Extraction

Pumping and vacuuming standing water out of floors, stairwells and lower rooms across Lafayette and Lafayette Parish, around the clock.

Wet Carpet and Floor Drying

Lifting, drying and reading wet carpet, pad and hard floors from below, so that flooring which can be saved is kept.

Crawl Space Flood Drying

Pumping, cleaning and drying a crawl space and the floor framing above it after flood water has come in from below or through the vents.

Ceiling and Drywall Water Damage

Opening, drying and reading wet ceilings and drywall after a leak or flood, with the lowest wet section cut so the cavity can dry.

Guides

Read before you book

FAQ

Sewage Backup Cleanup FAQs

Is sewage in my bathroom a reason to call right away?

Yes. Sewage is handled as urgent because it carries contamination, and the room should be closed off until the crew arrives. Call the line, tell the operator which fixture is backing up, and keep people out of the room.

Can the carpet be cleaned after sewage?

Usually not. Carpet and pad that soaked up sewage are removed, because the contamination stays in the material. The crew explains which items are affected and records them.

Who clears a blockage in the main line?

A drain service clears a blockage in the main line. The crew stops the flow inside the building and removes the water, and it explains what the drain service must confirm before the building is used again.

Does sewage cleanup need a permit?

Repairs to the drain line may need a permit, and the requirement depends on the work. Confirm with the parish or city permit office before any line is replaced.

Will the insurance cover a sewage backup?

That depends on the policy. Many policies treat a sewer or drain backup differently from other water damage, and some require a separate endorsement. Read the policy and ask the insurer, and keep the records from the cleanup.

Is there a price for a sewage cleanup?

No price is published on this site or given on the phone. The size of the area, the materials affected and the work needed decide the cost, and the price is explained and approved before any work starts.

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