It may be safe to stay in a house after a small sewer backup if the sewage is limited to one area that can be closed off and cleaned quickly. If sewage covers large areas, soaks into carpet or drywall, or reaches electrical equipment, it is safer to stay elsewhere until the area is cleaned and the cause is fixed.
Why Sewage Is a Health Risk
Sewage can carry bacteria, viruses, and other germs that can make people sick. Contact with skin, splashes to the eyes or mouth, and tracking it through the house all raise the risk. Young children, older adults, and people with weak immune systems are most at risk.
Signs You Should Stay Elsewhere
- Sewage covers a large part of the basement or living space
- Water has reached outlets, the furnace, or the electrical panel area
- Sewage has soaked into carpet, furniture, or walls
- There is a strong odor throughout the house
- The home has no working toilet or drains
If You Stay
Keep the affected area closed off. Children and pets should stay out completely. Wear rubber gloves and boots if you must go near the sewage. Wash hands well afterward. Do not use the drains until the line is cleared, since more water will only add to the backup.
Keep windows open if the weather allows to help with odors, and run fans that do not blow air from the affected room into the rest of the home.
Cleaning Up
Porous items soaked with sewage, such as carpet and padding, usually cannot be saved. Hard surfaces need cleaning and disinfecting. Large cleanups are often best handled by a professional cleanup company.
Before cleanup begins, clearing the sewer backup at its source keeps it from happening again. If you have questions about your home’s drains after the backup, you can talk with a plumber about next steps at (833) 603-1840.