Frequently asked questions

If sewage is still coming up, a plumber needs to clear or repair the line so the flow stops. A cleanup company then removes the contamination, disinfects, and dries the area. If several homes on your street are affected or a manhole is overflowing, the problem may be the city main, so report it to the City of Garland water and wastewater department through garlandtx.gov.

Yes. Raw sewage is classified as Category 3 or "black water" under the IICRC S500 water damage standard. It can carry bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella, viruses such as hepatitis A and norovirus, and parasites. Anything it soaks into should be treated as contaminated.

A small overflow on a hard, non-porous floor like tile can sometimes be handled with gloves, eye protection, and a proper disinfectant. Once sewage reaches carpet, drywall, baseboards, or subfloor, professional cleanup is the safer choice because those materials hold contamination that surface cleaning cannot reach.

Usually only if your policy includes a water backup or sewer backup endorsement. Standard homeowners policies commonly exclude water that backs up through drains or sewers. Check your declarations page or call your agent, and take photos before anything is removed.

Removal and disinfection of a typical residential backup often takes one to three days. Drying can add several more days depending on how far the water spread and what materials it reached. Repairs to drywall and flooring are a separate step after that.

No. Garland Sewage Cleanup is a referral service. When you call, you are connected with an independent local cleanup provider. That provider sets the price and schedule, and you decide whether to hire them.

Stop using water in the house, keep children and pets out of the area, and stay out of standing water if it is near outlets or cords. Open windows if it is safe to do so. Do not mix cleaning products, since bleach and ammonia together release toxic gas. Take photos and video for your insurance claim.

Signs that point to the public main include backups at several homes on the same street, an overflowing manhole, or sewage coming up when nobody in the house is using water. A backup that only affects your home, especially after heavy use or with roots in the yard, usually points to your private service line. When in doubt, check with the City of Garland water and wastewater department through garlandtx.gov.

Besides sewage backups, callers can be connected with providers for unattended death cleanup, crime and trauma scene cleanup, hoarding cleanup, and blood or bodily fluid cleanup in Garland and nearby cities.

Price depends on the water category, the size of the affected area, which materials must be removed, how long the sewage sat, and how hard the area is to reach. Ask the provider for a written estimate before work starts, and ask whether repairs are included or billed separately.

Ask whether its technicians hold IICRC certifications for water damage and microbial remediation, whether it carries general liability insurance, how it handles contaminated carpet and drywall, how waste is disposed of, and whether it will give you photos and moisture readings for your insurance claim.

Yes. The EPA advises drying wet building materials within 24 to 48 hours to help prevent mold growth. North Texas humidity makes quick drying especially important after any water or sewage loss.

It should, if contaminated porous materials were removed and the structure was fully dried. A smell that keeps coming back usually means something soaked was left in place, such as carpet pad, the bottom of drywall, or insulation.