Safe sewage backup cleaning & sanitation

Sewage backup is contaminated water and is not handled like a clean-water flood. Keep people and pets out of the area, and before you assume the blockage is yours, check with the city — the order of those two calls can save you a plumbing bill.

Call the city first, then call us

The City of Anoka asks residents to report sewer backups so Public Works can check the municipal main: 763-576-2923 during business hours, 763-576-2903 after hours.

Confirm current contact numbers and procedure with the City of Anoka before publishing; municipal numbers change.

Why contaminated water is different

Restoration standards classify water by contamination. Clean water from a supply line is Category 1. Water that has picked up contaminants — a washing machine discharge, for example — is Category 2. Sewage is Category 3: it carries pathogens, and the assumption is that porous materials it touched cannot be cleaned back to safe.

• Porous materials that absorbed it — carpet, pad, batt insulation, particleboard, affected drywall — are removed rather than dried.
• The work area is contained and negative air is used so contamination is not spread through the rest of the house.
• Hard surfaces are cleaned and then sanitized, not just wiped and dried.
• Drying happens after removal and cleaning, never instead of it.

Coverage for sewer backup is commonly a separate endorsement rather than part of a standard policy. Check yours, and see insurance water damage claims in Minnesota.

The Anoka two-step: verify, then fix

Step 1: Call the City. If the backup affects all of your drains, call City of Anoka Public Works at 763-576-2923 during business hours or 763-576-2903 after hours and have them check the municipal sewer main.

Step 2: If the city clears the main and your basement is still flooded, the blockage is in your private lateral line. Call us immediately, and call a plumber to clear the line — cleanup and sanitizing follow the repair, because clearing the blockage without removing the contaminated material only ends half the problem.

Owner to verify these municipal numbers and the current reporting procedure with the City of Anoka before publishing.

Who do I call first for a sewage backup in Anoka?

Call the City of Anoka Public Works first if every drain in the building is affected, because the blockage may be in the municipal main: 763-576-2923 during business hours, 763-576-2903 after hours. If only one floor drain or fixture is backing up, the obstruction is likely in your private lateral and cleanup follows the plumbing repair.

Why is sewage cleanup different from a clean-water flood?

Sewage is Category 3 water and carries pathogens. Porous materials it contacted — carpet, pad, batt insulation, particleboard, affected drywall — are removed rather than dried. The work area is contained with negative air so contamination is not spread, hard surfaces are cleaned and then sanitized, and drying happens after removal, never instead of it.

Is sewage backup covered by insurance?

Sewer and drain backup is commonly excluded from a standard homeowners policy unless you carry a specific backup endorsement. Check your declarations page and open the claim promptly. Documentation of the affected area and the materials removed is what supports the claim either way.