Sewage Cleanup & Sewer Backup Removal in Bellaire, TX

Sewage in your home right now? Call (713) 224-7579. We answer 24 hours a day.

Right Now: Do These Four Things

1. Stop using all water in the house. Don’t flush toilets, run sinks, showers, the dishwasher or the washing machine. Everything you send down the drain can come back up at the lowest point.
2. Keep everyone out of the affected area, especially children, pets, and anyone who is pregnant, elderly or has a weakened immune system.
3. Turn off power to the area if sewage is near outlets or appliances, but only if you can reach the breaker panel without walking through it.
4. Take photos and video, then call a plumber to clear the line and call us for the cleanup.

Don’t: use a household vacuum or shop vac on sewage, use fans (they spread contaminants through the house), or try to save soaked carpet, rugs or upholstered furniture.

What Your Drains Are Telling You

Where and when the sewage shows up is a good clue to what went wrong. Pass this along to your plumber.

One fixture backs up, the rest work fine

The clog is probably in the branch line serving that toilet, tub or sink. This is usually the smallest and least expensive problem to fix.

The lowest drains back up first

If the ground-floor shower, tub or toilet fills with sewage when you run water somewhere else, such as the washing machine, the blockage is likely in your main sewer line. Water has nowhere to go, so it comes out at the lowest opening.

Everything gurgles and drains slowly

Gurgling toilets and slow drains across the whole house often come before a main line backup. Call a plumber before it overflows.

It only happens during heavy rain

During heavy storms, rainwater gets into the sanitary sewer system through cracked pipes and loose manhole covers and overloads it. When the city’s main is full, sewage can push back up into the lowest drains of homes connected to it. If your backups line up with storms, the problem may not be inside your home at all.

Why Older Bellaire Homes Get Sewer Backups

Many of Bellaire’s older homes still have their original cast iron drain lines under the slab. Cast iron lasts a long time, but after decades it can:

• Corrode from the inside, building up rough scale that catches waste and narrows the pipe
• Crack or separate as the expansive clay soil shifts under the foundation
• Develop a “belly,” a low sag in the line where waste collects
• Let tree roots in through cracks and joints, especially under mature trees

Newer homes aren’t immune either. Grease, wipes labeled “flushable,” and roots can block any sewer line. Ask your plumber about a camera inspection of your sewer line. It shows exactly what’s going on inside the pipe.

Is It the City’s Sewer Line or Yours?

This matters for who fixes the problem and who pays.

• The city maintains the public sewer main under the street. During heavy rain, the City of Bellaire’s wastewater crews work to clear blockages in the main and relieve backups onto private property.
• You’re generally responsible for your private sewer line (the service line or lateral) running from your house to the city’s connection, and for all the plumbing inside your home.

If you think the city main is backed up, for example if your neighbors are having problems too or it only happens during storms, contact the City of Bellaire’s Public Works department. A plumber can tell you whether the blockage is in your line.

Know where your cleanout is. Most homes have a sewer cleanout, a capped pipe outside near the foundation or close to the street. It gives plumbers quick access to the main line, and in some cases opening it can relieve a backup outside instead of inside the house.

Sewage Is Category 3 Water

Restoration companies classify sewage as Category 3, or “black water,” the most contaminated level. It can contain E. coli, hepatitis A, and other bacteria and parasites. That’s why sewage cleanup follows stricter rules than a clean water leak:

• Porous materials that sewage touched are removed, not cleaned. That includes carpet and pad, drywall, insulation, and usually baseboards and particleboard cabinets.
• Hard surfaces are cleaned and disinfected, not just wiped down.
• The area is contained so contaminants don’t spread to the rest of the house.
• Workers wear protective equipment, including respirators, gloves, suits and boots.

Our Sewage Backup Cleanup Process

Containment

We seal off the affected rooms with plastic sheeting, cover HVAC vents, and set up air scrubbers with HEPA filters to control odor and airborne contaminants.

Waste removal

We remove sewage, water and solids with extraction equipment dedicated to contaminated water, and dispose of the waste properly.

Removing contaminated materials

We cut out affected drywall (usually with a flood cut above the contamination line), and remove carpet, pad, insulation, baseboards, and any flooring or cabinets that can’t be safely cleaned. Everything is bagged inside the containment area before it goes out.

Cleaning and disinfection

We scrub and disinfect the slab, framing, tile, fixtures and every other hard surface that stays, and apply an antimicrobial treatment to structural materials.

Drying

We dry the framing and slab with commercial dehumidifiers and air movers, and check moisture readings until they’re back to normal. Sewage leaves moisture behind just like any other water, and wet framing can grow mold.

Odor control

Removing contaminated materials is the most important step for odor. We also use air scrubbers and deodorization so the smell doesn’t linger once the job is done.

Documentation

You receive photos, a list of removed materials, and moisture readings for your insurance claim.

Rooms Where Sewage Backups Usually Happen

• Ground-floor bathrooms, through the shower drain, tub or toilet
• Laundry rooms, where the washer drain overflows, often when the washer is running during a main line blockage
• Kitchens, through the sink and dishwasher drain
• Utility rooms and garages with floor drains or a water heater drain

Because the sewage comes up at the lowest drains, it often spreads from a bathroom into the hallway and nearby bedrooms, under doors and into the carpet.

What Affects the Cost of Sewage Cleanup

Sewage cleanup costs more than a clean water leak because of the extra safety steps, material removal and disinfection it requires. The main factors are:

• How far the sewage spread, both the number of rooms and the square footage
• How long it sat before cleanup started
• What it soaked into, such as carpet, hardwood, tile, or cabinets
• How high it wicked up the walls
• Whether contents need to be removed and disposed of

We’ll walk through the damage with you and explain what needs to be removed and why before we start. The faster cleanup begins, the less has to be torn out.

Does Insurance Cover Sewer Backup?

Often, only if you’ve added it.

• Standard homeowners policies usually exclude sewer and drain backup unless you’ve added a water backup or sewer backup endorsement. It’s usually an inexpensive add-on, and worth asking your agent about.
• Flood insurance may cover sewage backup only when it’s caused directly by flooding.
• Damage from a broken pipe may be covered differently from a backup caused by a clog.

Check your policy or call your agent. Our photos and records give your adjuster a clear picture of what happened.

How to Prevent the Next Sewer Backup

• Install a backflow preventer on your sanitary sewer line. The City of Bellaire recommends that residents install sewer backflow prevention. A licensed plumber can install a valve that lets wastewater leave your home but closes if sewage tries to flow back in.
• Get a sewer camera inspection if your home is older, has large trees nearby, or has had backups before.
• Keep grease out of the kitchen sink, and don’t flush wipes, even ones labeled “flushable.”
• Know where your cleanout is, and make sure the cap is intact and accessible.
• During heavy rain, avoid running the washing machine and dishwasher if your home has had storm-related backups before.
• Ask about pipe lining or replacement if a camera shows cracked or corroded cast iron.

Sewage Cleanup, Day or Night

Call (713) 224-7579, any time.