Sewage Backup Cleanup & Biohazard Cleanup in the Seattle–Tacoma Area

A sewage backup is Category 3 water, the most contaminated kind, and it is not a mop job. Everything it touches has to be removed or disinfected by people in protective gear, and each hour it sits, it soaks further into floors and walls. Eco Water Restoration sends IICRC-certified crews to homes across King, Pierce and Snohomish County, 24/7, and we are on site in 60 to 90 minutes. In the first hour we make the area safe, close it off from the rest of the house and start getting the water out. Call (253) 204-3646 now. If the backup has stopped and you would prefer a callback, use our contact form.

What to do right now, before we arrive

These five steps keep people safe and limit the damage. None of them involves cleaning.

  1. Keep people and pets out. Shut the door to the room, and keep children and animals on another floor.
  2. Do not run water. No flushing, no faucets, no washing machine or dishwasher. Water sent down any drain can come back up at the lowest one in the house.
  3. Do not touch it without protection. Leave rugs, boxes and furniture where they are. If you have to step in, wear rubber boots and waterproof gloves.
  4. Shut off power to the affected outlets, if it is safe. Use the breaker panel only if it is dry and you can reach it without crossing a wet floor. Otherwise leave it and tell us when you call.
  5. Call us and your plumber. We handle the cleanup at (253) 204-3646, and a plumber clears or repairs the line. The two jobs can start at the same time.

Category 1, 2 and 3 water, and why sewage is different

Water damage is sorted into three categories by how contaminated the water is, and the category decides how the job is done. Category 1 is clean water from a supply line or a water heater. Category 2, often called gray water, carries some contamination, as in a washing machine or dishwasher overflow. Category 3, or black water, is grossly contaminated, and sewage is the clearest case. With clean water, most wet materials can be dried in place. With sewage they cannot. Carpet, pad, drywall and insulation that absorbed it are removed, hard surfaces are cleaned and then disinfected, and the crew works in protective equipment. Clean water also moves up a category if it sits, so a leak left for several days may need much the same treatment as a backup. Our post on Category 1, 2 and 3 water losses goes through each one, and our water damage restoration page covers the clean water jobs.

Eco Water Restoration employee handing an air mover to another employee.

Our sewage cleanup process

The work is done in six steps, and the order matters. Nothing is dried until the contamination is out.

  1. Safety assessment and containment. The crew starts by checking for electrical hazards and confirming whether the backup is still active. They then trace how far the water went, using moisture meters to find what has run under flooring or into wall cavities. The affected rooms are closed off with plastic sheeting so nothing is tracked through the clean part of the house. Before any material is removed, we tell you what we found and what happens next.
  2. Extraction of contaminated water. Standing sewage and solids are pumped and vacuumed out with extraction equipment, deepest water first. We then go back over carpet, subfloor and concrete to pull out what has soaked in below the surface. Speed matters most at this stage, because sewage keeps wicking into drywall and framing for as long as it sits against them. If the line is still backing up, we time the extraction with your plumber so the work is not undone.
  3. Removal and disposal of porous materials that cannot be saved. Porous materials that absorbed sewage cannot be cleaned to a safe standard, so they come out. That usually means carpet and pad, wet drywall and insulation, and particleboard cabinets or shelving that sat in the water. Drywall is cut above the highest wet reading, not at the visible stain. Everything is bagged inside the contained area and taken off the property for disposal. We photograph and list each item first, which you will want for an insurance claim.
  4. Cleaning and antimicrobial disinfection. What is left is the structure: framing, subfloor, concrete and hard surfaces. These are cleaned first, because a disinfectant cannot work through a layer of soil. Surfaces are scrubbed and rinsed, the dirty water is extracted, and an antimicrobial disinfectant is then applied and left for its full contact time. Hard, non-porous belongings such as metal shelving, glass and sealed plastic bins can usually be cleaned the same way and returned to you.
  5. Structural drying with moisture verification. Drying equipment goes in only now, since moving air across contaminated material would spread it. Air movers and dehumidifiers run on the framing, subfloor and concrete that stayed in place. A technician comes back to take moisture readings and adjust the equipment, and each reading is logged, until the materials are back to normal for your home. Sewage-soaked structure that stays damp grows mold quickly. If growth has already started, we treat it under our mold remediation service.
  6. Deodorizing and restoration. Most of the odor leaves with the materials removed in step three. Any that remains is dealt with at its source, by further cleaning or by sealing the framing and concrete it has settled into. After a final walk-through and moisture check, the containment comes down and you receive the photos, readings and list of removed materials. The space is then ready for new drywall, flooring and trim, and we help you arrange that rebuild.

Our post on what can be cleaned and what must be removed after a sewage backup has more on step three.

What we clean up

Sewage is a biohazard, and the same methods apply to other contaminated water in a home. We take calls for:

  • Sewage backups and toilet overflows, whether the blockage is in the home’s own drain or in the main line.
  • Sump pump and drain failures, where a pump stops in heavy rain or a floor drain backs up into a basement.
  • Gray water and black water from appliances, such as washing machine and dishwasher overflows that have been left to sit.
  • Flood water contamination, covered in more detail on our flood damage restoration and storm damage restoration pages.
  • Crawl space contamination, from a broken drain line or a backup under the house.

For anything not on this list, call and describe it, or see our general FAQs.

Sewer line repair

We do not repair sewer lines. Clearing a blockage, putting a camera through the pipe or replacing a broken section is work for a licensed plumber or sewer contractor, and you should call one when you call us. We clean up and restore after the backup, and we work alongside your plumber while they deal with the line. We can contain the area and extract while the line is being cleared. Once it is fixed, everything the water touched is ours to handle.

Insurance

In Washington, coverage for a sudden sewer or drain backup is often not part of the standard homeowner policy. It is usually a separate endorsement, sometimes called a rider, that has to be added. Look for water backup wording on your declarations page, or ask your agent, before you assume either way. Whether a claim is paid is your insurer’s decision, and we will not guess at it. We document the loss from the first visit: photos before anything is moved, the water category, moisture readings, the list of removed materials and the drying log. We send that file to your adjuster and answer their questions. Our post on help with insurance paperwork after a flood shows what adjusters ask for.

Eco Water Restoration van beside a stack of dehumidifiers, air movers and air scrubbers.

Where we work

Crews leave from our Kent headquarters and from our Seattle and Tacoma offices, which is how we reach homes across King, Pierce and Snohomish County in 60 to 90 minutes, 24/7. We have local pages for Seattle, Bellevue, Kent, Renton, Auburn and Federal Way, and every other city we cover is listed on the service area page. To get a crew moving, call (253) 204-3646 or send a message.

Frequently asked questions

Is sewage water dangerous?
Yes. Sewage is Category 3 water, the most contaminated kind, and it can carry bacteria, viruses and parasites from human waste. Treat the water and everything it soaked as unsafe to touch, and keep children and pets away from it. Questions about anyone’s health go to a doctor. Our work is the building.

Can I clean it up myself?
For a backup, we advise against it. Sewage in carpet, drywall or a finished basement calls for protective equipment, extraction, removal of the soaked materials and disinfection, and household cleaners and a shop vacuum do not do that job. A small toilet overflow with no waste in it, on a hard floor, can be wiped up with gloves on.

How long does sewage cleanup take?
Most home jobs take three to seven days. Extraction, removal and disinfection are usually done in the first day or two. Drying takes the rest, and it is finished when the moisture readings say so, not on a set day. A large basement or a crawl space can run longer.

What has to be thrown away?
Anything porous that absorbed sewage: carpet and pad, wet drywall and insulation, particleboard furniture, mattresses, upholstered pieces and cardboard boxes. Hard, non-porous items such as metal, glass and sealed plastic can usually be cleaned and disinfected. Solid wood framing normally stays. We photograph and list what is removed before it leaves the house.

Is it covered by insurance?
It depends on your policy. In Washington, sewer and drain backup is often a separate endorsement that has to be added to a standard homeowner policy, so look for water backup wording or ask your agent. What your insurer pays is their decision. We document the loss with photos, moisture readings and a list of removed materials, and send that file to your adjuster.

Do you fix the sewer line?
No. We clean up and restore after a backup, and we do not repair sewer lines. A licensed plumber or sewer contractor clears or repairs the line, and we work alongside them. Call both of us at the start: the plumber stops the source, and we deal with everything the water touched.

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