Water spread across the tile floor around the toilet and tub of a bathroom

Sewage Cleanup in Dallas When a Drain Backs Up Into the House

Sewage coming up through a toilet, tub or floor drain is not a mop-and-bucket job. Keep everyone out of it, call to stop the source, then get connected with a local cleanup company.

Call (469) 649-7066 Who owns the sewer pipe

What sewage cleanup in Dallas actually involves

Sewage cleanup in Dallas usually starts with a drain in the lowest spot in the house: a shower, a tub or a toilet on the ground floor bubbling up gray-brown water, often after heavy rain or a clog somewhere down the line.

That water is not like a burst supply line. Restoration companies sort water into three categories under the ANSI/IICRC S500 standard, and sewage sits in the worst one, Category 3, which the standard describes as grossly contaminated. It can carry bacteria, viruses and parasites, and the CDC warns that water containing sewage can cause diarrheal illness if anything it touched ends up in someone's mouth.

So the job is less about drying and more about removing contamination safely: getting the waste out, sorting the materials that get cleaned from the ones that get hauled away, disinfecting, and only then drying the structure. The restoration company you are connected with does that work. Water Damage Pro Dallas is the free phone line in between; it answers, asks what happened and transfers you, and it never cleans or quotes anything.

Empty room with plastic sheeting laid over the floor and two work lights standing ready

The first ten minutes

Most of what matters before help arrives is about keeping people away from the water.

Stop adding water. Do not flush, run the washer or dishwasher, or take a shower. Every gallon you send down the drain has nowhere to go but back up into the house.
Get people and pets out of the room. Close the door if you can. Small children and dogs walk through puddles and then touch everything else.
Keep away from electricity. If the water is near outlets, cords or appliances, do not step into it. Flip the breaker only when the path to the panel and the floor in front of it are completely dry. If not, phone Oncor or an electrician.
Get out if there is a gas smell. A backup can push water around a gas water heater or furnace. If you smell gas, get everyone outside and call 911 and Atmos Energy from there.
Photograph before anything moves. Take wide shots of every wet room and close-ups of the drain it came from, the high-water marks and damaged belongings.

Whose pipe is it: the city's or yours?

Wastewater leaves a house through a private sewer line that runs out to a cleanout, a capped pipe that usually sticks up a few inches from the yard, and then on to the city's main in the street or alley. As a general rule, the owner is responsible for the private line on the house side and the city for the public main, and Dallas Water Utilities can tell you through 311 where that split falls for your property.

That split decides who you call:

A problem in the city main. Dallas Water Utilities asks residents to report a clogged or overflowing wastewater main by calling 311 or 214-670-3111. Signs include sewage coming out of a manhole or several neighbors backing up at once.
A problem in your own line. Tree roots, grease, wipes or a sagging section of pipe between the house and the cleanout are a job for a licensed plumber, who clears and, if needed, repairs the line.
Fort Worth. Fort Worth Water takes sewer backup and main break calls on its 24 hour line, 817-392-4477 (option 1).
Other DFW towns. Every city runs its own wastewater system. Look for the after-hours number on your water bill or the city's website.

White sewer cleanout pipe with its cap off in the yard beside a brick home

Knowing where your cleanout is helps everyone. A plumber can open it to see whether the line is full on the house side or the street side, which tells you whether the clog is yours or the city's. If you cannot find one, say so when the plumber arrives.

What a careful sewage cleanup company does

Every house is different, but a sewage job generally runs in this order. Use the list to follow along and to ask questions when something is skipped.

Contain and protect

Workers should wear protective gear. The CDC advises rubber boots, rubber gloves and goggles when sewage is involved, and a company often sets up plastic barriers so the mess is not tracked through clean rooms.

Remove waste and water

Standing water and solids are pumped or vacuumed out with equipment built for contaminated water, and the waste is disposed of properly rather than poured into a yard.

Take out what cannot be saved

Porous things that soaked up sewage, such as carpet and pad, upholstered furniture, insulation and the lower part of drywall, are usually removed. The CDC's guidance for flooded homes says drywall and insulation contaminated with sewage or floodwater should be thrown away.

Clean and disinfect

Hard surfaces that stay, like tile, sealed concrete, studs and cabinets that can be saved, are cleaned of residue and then treated with a disinfectant. Cleaning comes first, because disinfectant does not work well on a dirty surface.

Dry and measure

Air movers and dehumidifiers dry the framing and slab. A moisture meter, which measures the water held inside wood, drywall or concrete, shows when the structure is back to normal. Per the EPA, getting materials dry in the first day or two is the usual way to head off mold, though it is not a promise.

Hand off the rebuild

Once the area is clean and dry, new drywall, baseboards and flooring go back in. Some companies do this themselves and some refer it out. See water damage repair for that stage.

Wet bedroom carpet cut and pulled back to show the bare concrete slab beneath

Why sewage cleanup is not a weekend project

It is tempting to grab a wet vac and some cleaner, especially when the backup looks small. The trouble is what you cannot see. Sewage soaks into carpet pad and wicks up the back side of drywall, so a floor that looks clean on top can still hold contamination underneath. The CDC also notes that wounds exposed to floodwater or sewage need to be washed with soap and water right away, and that a health care provider should decide whether a puncture wound or a wound touched by sewage needs a tetanus shot.

If someone in the house is pregnant, very young, older or has a weakened immune system, that is one more reason to keep them away from the area entirely and leave the work to people with the right gear.

Safety first. Shut off the main water valve if you can get to it without risk. Water and electricity together are the real hazard, so stay out of any puddle that touches an outlet, a cord or an appliance. Switch off the breaker only when the panel can be reached from dry flooring; if it cannot, call Oncor or an electrician. A gas smell means everyone goes outside, and the calls to 911 and Atmos Energy are made from there. Floodwater and sewage are not safe to wade through, for adults, children or pets. Once everyone is safe, take photos for the insurance claim and carry valuables and documents to a dry room.

Questions to ask before a sewage cleanup starts

Did you find the source, and is it the city main or the private line? Do I need a plumber before you start?
Which materials will you remove, and which do you plan to clean and keep? Why?
How will you keep the contamination out of the rest of the house while you work?
What will you use to disinfect, and will you clean before you apply it?
How will you show me the structure is dry before the walls are closed up?
Can I have the estimate itemized on paper, plus photos I can send my insurer?
Does your company hold an IICRC firm certification, and can I check it on the IICRC Global Locator?

If mold shows up because the water sat for days, Texas rules may call for two different license holders, an assessor who plans the work and a remediator who carries it out, once it covers 25 contiguous square feet or more. The Texas mold rules guide explains it.

Ask your insurer, not the contractor. Guidance from the Texas Department of Insurance separates water that shows up suddenly and by accident, like a split pipe, an overflowing toilet or a failed washer hose, which most home and renter policies include, from slow leaks and seepage, which they usually leave out. Flooding is excluded from home policies altogether and needs a separate flood policy. Insurers can also refuse a claim when the owner did not take reasonable steps to limit further damage. Before you sign for any work, pull out your policy and call the insurer about what it includes. More on water damage and insurance.

How the free line works

Call the numberAn automated assistant answers (469) 649-7066 at any hour and asks what you need help with. The same number answers other home service calls too, so start with "water damage" or "mold".
Describe what happenedA burst pipe, standing water, a wet ceiling, a slab leak, a sewage backup or mold, plus your town and whether water is still coming in.
Get transferredWater damage calls go to an independent, locally owned DFW restoration company; mold removal calls go to an independent mold remediation company. Each hears a short summary before it picks up. Mold testing calls are taken as a message for now.
Deal with that company directlyIt inspects, quotes and does the work, and you pay it (or your insurer does, as you arrange). If it cannot answer, it gets your name, number, city and problem so it can call you back.

Not sure if the backup is the city main, your own line or both? Call and describe what you see. You will be transferred to an independent DFW restoration company, which looks at the damage and writes up its own estimate.

Call (469) 649-7066

About this line: Water Damage Pro Dallas is a free phone line, not a restoration or mold company. It answers your call and connects you with an independent local company, which inspects, quotes and does the work, and which you pay directly. Companies may pay a referral fee. Calling the line costs you nothing. See how a call is handled.

More pages that may help

Sewage cleanup calls across Dallas-Fort Worth

Sewage backup questions from DFW homeowners

How do you clean up sewage in a house?

Carefully, and usually not by yourself. Sewage is Category 3 water under the ANSI/IICRC S500 standard, meaning it carries bacteria and viruses that can make people sick. A cleanup company typically contains the area, removes the water and solids, takes out soaked porous materials such as carpet, pad and lower drywall, cleans and disinfects what stays, then dries the structure and checks it with a moisture meter. Keep children and pets out until the work is finished. Call the free line at the top of this page to reach a local company.

Is the city responsible for a sewer backup in Dallas?

It depends on where the blockage is. In general, the sewer line from the house out to the cleanout or property line is the owner's, and the main is the city's, but ask Dallas Water Utilities through 311 where the split falls for your lot. A clog in the city main is the city's to clear, and you report a clogged or overflowing wastewater main by calling 311 or 214-670-3111. A clog in your own line is a job for a plumber. Who pays for damage inside the house is a separate question to raise with your insurer and the city.

Does homeowners insurance cover sewage backup in Texas?

Do not assume it does. Many home policies leave out sewer and drain backup unless a water backup endorsement was added. Call your insurer, ask whether your policy includes water backup coverage, what the limit and deductible are, and what photos or records it needs. Take pictures before anything is thrown out. The insurance guide lists more questions to ask.

Can I stay in my house after a sewage backup?

Stay out of the rooms the sewage reached, and keep kids, older relatives and pets away from them. Whether the rest of the house is livable depends on how far the water spread, whether the toilets and drains still work, and whether the heat or air system was affected. Ask the cleanup company to tell you which areas are safe while work is going on. If the only bathroom is out of use or the water reached living areas, many families stay elsewhere for a few days.

Do I call a plumber or a cleanup company first?

Often both, in this order: stop the source, then clean. If the city main is backing up, call 311 in Dallas or the Fort Worth Water line at 817-392-4477. If the blockage is in your own line, a plumber clears it. Stop running water in the house so you do not add to the backup. A restoration company handles the mess the backup left behind. Read how a call to the line works.

Sewage in the house? Call the free DFW line

Say what happened and which town you are in. The automated assistant passes a water damage call to an independent, locally owned DFW restoration company, and a mold removal call to an independent mold remediation company. That company comes out, sees the damage and prices the work itself.