Few things in a home are worse than sewage coming up through a floor drain or toilet. It's a health hazard, it spreads fast and it raises an immediate question: whose problem is it, yours or the utility's? Here's what Cobb County says about responsibility, what to do in the first hour and how to keep it from happening again. For cleanup help, see our page on water damage restoration around Kennesaw, GA.
First: stop using water
Every flush, shower, dishwasher cycle or load of laundry sends more water down a line that's already blocked, and it comes out at the lowest drain in the house. Stop using water, keep children and pets away, and don't touch the water. If you must go near it, the CDC's advice for contaminated water applies: rubber boots, rubber gloves and goggles, then wash your hands with soap and clean water.
Whose pipe is it?
Cobb County says homeowners are responsible for the sewer pipes on their property and their internal plumbing, while the county manages the public sewer lines. The county may also have lines on private property through an easement and can check whether its lines are contributing to a problem. Cobb County Water System customers can report sewage backing up into a yard or basement to Emergency Dispatch at 770-419-6201. Some cities operate their own sewer systems, so check your utility bill to see who your provider is.
In practice, a backup in one house is often a blockage in that home's own line, such as grease, wipes or roots, while several neighbors backing up at once points toward the public main. A plumber can camera the line to tell which.
Who to call, in order
Your sewer provider, if it might be the main
Especially if neighbors have problems too or sewage is coming up outside.
A plumber
To clear or camera your line and find the blockage.
Your insurance company
To ask whether you have water backup coverage.
A restoration contractor
For safe removal, disinfection and drying. See sewage backup cleanup.
What cleanup involves
Under the IICRC S500 standard, sewage is Category 3 water, the most contaminated category. Industry guidelines based on the standard call for removing carpet and pad it soaks, along with other porous materials, then cleaning and disinfecting hard surfaces and drying the structure. The EPA advises calling in a professional with experience cleaning buildings damaged by sewage or other contaminated water.
Insurance
Many homeowners policies exclude sewer and drain backup unless you added a water backup endorsement. Check your declarations page now, before you need it. The cost of repairing the sewer line itself is often treated separately from the damage the water caused.
Preventing the next backup
- Don't pour fats, oils or grease down the drain. Let them cool and throw them away.
- Flush only toilet paper. "Flushable" wipes can still clog lines.
- Ask a plumber about a backwater valve, which helps stop sewage from flowing back into the house.
- If trees are near your sewer line, ask about roots during a camera inspection.
Backups in basements and ground-floor bathrooms are common across the area, including in Ridenour and Acworth.