Sewage Backup Cleanup in Woodstock, GA

Sewage carries bacteria, viruses and parasites, so the job is not drying. It is containment, removal and disinfection first, and drying only after the contaminated materials are gone.

Why sewage backs up in Woodstock homes

Most homes inside the city and in the larger subdivisions are on public sewer. A backup usually starts in the lateral, the private line from the house to the main, and it shows up at the lowest drain in the house: a basement shower, a floor drain or a lower-level toilet.

• Grease, wipes and paper blocking the lateral
• Tree roots entering joints in older laterals
• Heavy storms overloading the system
• A failed backwater valve or no valve at all

How sewage cleanup is handled

The mitigation team sets up containment with plastic sheeting and negative air, and HEPA air scrubbers run while the work goes on. The extraction crew removes the sewage and solids. Carpet, pad, drywall, insulation and other porous materials the water touched are removed and bagged, usually with the drywall cut above the wet line. Hard surfaces and framing are cleaned, an EPA-registered antimicrobial is applied at its labeled dwell time, and then air movers and dehumidifiers dry the structure.

Health and safety

Keep children, pets and anyone with a weak immune system out of the area, and do not run the HVAC if the air handler is near the spill. The EPA sanitary sewer overflow pages explain what causes backups, and the CDC wastewater safety pages cover the health risks. Homes on a septic system have their own page, septic backup cleanup, and flooded lower levels are covered on basement flooding cleanup.