Stay out of sewage water: do this before anything else
Our dispatch line runs 24/7, and while you wait for a crew the job is to stay out of it. Sewage carries bacteria, viruses and parasites. Keep children, pets and anyone with a weak immune system out of the affected rooms, and do not wade through it in bare feet. Do not wash hands with the same water you used to check the damage.
If the water is near outlets, appliances or a basement panel, leave the power alone unless you can reach the panel while standing completely dry. If you smell gas, or see sparks or a wet panel, leave the building and call 911 or the utility before you call us.
Stop using every drain, toilet and washing machine in the house. Each flush or load adds more wastewater to the pile.
Sewage backup in Lithia Springs: what is happening in your pipes
Right now, the most useful thing to know is where the blockage is. If only one fixture is backing up, the clog is usually in your own line. If every low drain in the house gurgles or overflows at once, the obstruction is further downstream.
The Douglasville-Douglas County Water and Sewer Authority provides wastewater service for Douglas County. When the stoppage is in the public main rather than in your lateral, ask the Authority to check its line, and tell us what they find. A plumber clears the pipe, and our crews handle everything the water touched, including a wet basement or ground floor.
Sewage in the house right now
Keep everyone out and call (943) 469-0138. The line is open every hour.
Water coming up through drains and nobody can say why
Gurgling drains, a toilet that bubbles when the shower runs, or a stained floor around a floor drain: these are the early signs that a sewer line is full. They often appear hours before water shows on a floor.
Whatever the cause, the pattern is the same. Once wastewater is on your floor it becomes a cleanup job with its own rules. That job is sewage backup cleanup, and it is what our crews do.
Which water category are you dealing with
| Category | Source | What is done |
|---|---|---|
| Category 1 | Supply line, clean at the source | Extract and dry, materials often kept |
| Category 2 | Washing machine, dishwasher, sump overflow | Extract, clean, remove some porous items |
| Category 3 | Sewage, toilet overflow past the trap, river flood | Remove porous materials, disinfect, dry, verify |
Clean water left sitting can slide into a higher category. Sewage starts at Category 3.
How a Category 3 backup is cleaned
Crews work to the ANSI/IICRC S500 standard. The steps are typical and your scope may differ.
Protect and contain
Crews wear gloves, boots, eye protection and respirators. Plastic sheeting and negative air keep contaminated air from spreading to clean rooms.
Extract and remove
Extraction units pull the liquid. Carpet, pad, wet drywall, insulation and cabinet toe-kicks that touched the water are cut out and bagged, because porous materials cannot be made safe in place.
Clean and disinfect
Hard surfaces and framing are scrubbed, then treated with an antimicrobial applied to a cleaned surface. Disinfectant does not work on top of visible soil.
Dry and verify
Air movers, LGR dehumidifiers and HEPA air scrubbers run until moisture meter readings match dry reference points.
What gets thrown away and what can be saved
Carpet and pad
Both go. Pad is a sponge, and carpet fibers hold what the water carried.
Drywall and insulation
Removed to a cut line above the water mark, often higher because drywall wicks upward.
Hard surfaces
Tile, sealed concrete, and metal can be cleaned and disinfected in place.
Solid wood and framing
Cleaned and dried. Fresh wood often survives. Soaked, long-exposed pieces are judged by readings.
What shapes the cost of sewage cleanup
Sewage jobs scale with what the water touched. These are the main factors.
Rooms and area reached
A single bathroom is a different scope from a whole basement floor.
Depth and duration
Water that stood overnight has soaked deeper than water caught in minutes.
Materials removed
Removal of finished surfaces sets the rebuild scope, which is separate from cleanup.
Containment and PPE
Category 3 work needs sealing, air filtration and protective gear.
Drying days
Equipment runs until readings are dry, so the schedule follows the structure.
Sewage backups are often handled under a policy's water backup coverage, which is frequently an optional add-on. A flood is usually excluded. Check your policy or ask your insurer. For a real figure on contaminated water work, call (943) 469-0138 and name the affected rooms.
When sewage backup is an emergency: call at night too
A backup at 2 a.m. is still an emergency, because porous materials start absorbing contamination on contact. Crews dispatch around the clock, and same-day response is offered when available.
Once the water is gone, a second job begins. See our carpet restoration page for flooring decisions, and the flood damage page if river or surface water caused the backup.
After the cleanup: mold and nearby help
Leftover moisture lets mold grow, so drying readings matter. If you find growth later, our mold remediation page explains the S520 process. We also dispatch to neighbors in Douglasville and surrounding areas.
Common Questions
Do you handle sewage backup emergencies at night or on weekends in Lithia Springs?
Yes. A backup at midnight is still a contamination problem, so the line is answered at any hour and crews go out on weekends and holidays. Same-day response is offered when available. Call (943) 469-0138 and tell the dispatcher which rooms are affected.
Why is sewage water treated as Category 3?
Raw wastewater carries pathogens, so contact is a health risk. Under S500, sewage is Category 3 no matter how clear it looks, and porous materials are removed rather than dried.
My floor drain is gurgling and the toilet bubbles. What does that mean?
It usually means air is trapped by a blockage in the line. A plumber should check the lateral and the cleanout. If wastewater reaches the floor, call us for cleanup.
Can I clean up a small backup myself?
Small spills on hard floors can be handled with gloves, boots, and a disinfectant applied after scrubbing. Anything that reached carpet, drywall, or a large area needs professional removal.
Will homeowners insurance cover a sewer backup?
Coverage depends on the endorsement on your policy. Many standard policies exclude backups without it. Ask your insurer before you decide, and photograph the damage first.
How long until the home is safe again?
Safe return depends on removal, disinfection and dry readings, not on a fixed number of days. Crews verify the structure and tell you when rooms are ready.