Toilets, tubs and floor drains that send water the wrong way
Sewage Backup Cleanup in Lithia Springs, GA
Water that surfaces through a toilet, tub or floor drain is sewage, so keep children and pets away and expect a professional to handle the cleanup. Call (678) 940-9083 to ask whether a local contractor can take it at your address.
About this rendered scene
What the basement bathroom scene shows
The rendered scene shows a technician wearing a white disposable coverall, hood raised, with a half-face respirator and blue gloves. He is pulling a wet drywall panel off the wall of a basement bathroom, with a work light on a stand nearby. The scene is deliberately not graphic.
The protective gear is the point of the picture: it shows how far the cleanup is from a household mop-up. The picture is a rendered illustration, not a photograph of a real job.
Where the calendar matters
Heavy rain and the lines underground
The CDC warns that floodwater may contain sewage, which is one more reason to stay out of it after a storm. In September 2009 the Sweetwater Creek basin rose to the 500-year flood level, the National Weather Service says, so low rooms near the creeks have a recent record to point to.
Septic systems are a separate question. WSA's packet requires pumping at least every five years for tanks in the Dog River drainage basin.
Pause and get help if
- Sewage or dark, foul-smelling water in a room: children and pets stay out, you stay out of the water, and hands get washed with soap after any contact.
- Water at an outlet, an appliance cord or the panel: do not step in. A main switch on dry ground can be turned off; if the wiring sparks or smells scorched, or the switch is out of reach, get out and dial 911 or the power company.
- A gas odor: go outside without touching a switch or a flame, then tell 911 or the gas utility from there.
- The ceiling or floor under a wet bathroom bulging or sagging: keep people and pets back from it, and treat any collapse as a 911 matter.
Keep it or replace it
What gets thrown out after sewage water
| Material | What the sources lean toward | Who decides |
|---|---|---|
| Drywall and wall coverings | Where disinfecting is impossible, the CDC puts them on the discard list | The contractor |
| Carpet, rugs and cloth | The same CDC list names rugs and cloth | The contractor |
| Hard floors and walls | The CDC says to clean them with soap and water | The contractor, after the damaged layers are out |
The EPA calls for a professional whenever sewage or contaminated water caused the damage.
Short answers first
Where does a sewage backup fall on a 1 to 10 scale of seriousness?
An 8 to 10 is sewage reaching anything electrical, a gas smell, a bulging ceiling below, or children or pets in the water: get to dry ground and use 911, or the gas company from outside. A 4 to 7 is a backup in one bathroom, power out of reach: call a plumber about the line and book a cleanup visit in the coming days. A 1 to 3 is a sluggish drain over a dry floor: have a plumber look first.
Whose pipe is it, mine or WSA's?
WSA's page makes the lines from the meter to the house the homeowner's, and WSA looks after the meter and the lines in the road right-of-way. It suggests calling a plumber to tell which side a sewage backup is on. If a plumber points to the road side, report it to WSA at 770-949-7617 on weekdays or 770-942-6633 after hours.
Can I clean up sewage myself?
The EPA's mold page says that when water damage was caused by sewage or other contaminated water, bring in a professional. The CDC says floodwater can carry sewage, and recommends rubber boots, gloves and goggles for anyone who has to enter it. Its discard list covers drywall, rugs and cloth that cannot be disinfected.
Does cleanup cover Douglasville and Winston addresses?
Yes. Backups in Douglasville homes and Winston homes fall in the same service area as Lithia Springs. When you call (678) 940-9083, say which one you are in and mention whether the house drains to a sewer line or a septic tank.
Safe looks, no tools
Everything below is a look or a sniff from dry ground. Skip any step that needs a ladder, a tool or a step into the water.
- Write down which fixtures backed up and in what order. A plumber uses that to tell whether the trouble is in your line or farther out.
- Pause the dishwasher, washer and toilets until a plumber has looked at the line, since more water has nowhere to go.
- Photograph the wet floor, the walls and anything the water touched before cleanup, from the doorway where you can.
- Bag food and anything that touched the water. The CDC's rule for food is "When in doubt, throw it out."
Gather before dialing
What to jot down before calling about a backup
- The street address, and whether the house drains to a sewer main or a septic tank
- Which fixtures backed up and when the water first appeared
- Whether a plumber has been out, and what the plumber said about the line
- Photos taken from the doorway before any cleanup
- Renting? The person to phone first is the landlord or property manager
Numbers and facts for this area
- WSA's Report a Problem page lists 770-949-7617 for weekday hours (opening at 7:30 and closing at 5:30) and 770-942-6633 after hours, a line it keeps for emergencies only.
- The same page makes the water and sewer lines from the meter to the house the homeowner's, and the lines in the road right-of-way and the meter WSA's. For a sewage backup it advises calling a plumber, who can tell which side the trouble is on.
- WSA's new-service packet requires septic tanks in the Dog River drainage basin to be pumped at least every five years.
Signs the water left behind
- Gurgling drains or a slow tub before any water shows
- Water or sludge rising at a floor drain or in a tub
- A sewer smell in a bathroom, laundry area or lower level
- A toilet that bubbles when another fixture drains
- Damp, stained flooring near a bathroom wall
Before anyone starts work
The paperwork side of a sewage job
Cleanup that opens walls can bring up questions about who may do the work. The hiring questions page lays out what Georgia, Douglas County and Douglasville publish.
Gather the street address, the name of the wet room and some phone photos. Renting? The landlord or property manager hears first. Then call (678) 940-9083 to ask if a contractor covers Lithia Springs, Douglasville or Winston.
Call (678) 940-9083