Sewage Backup Cleanup in Stratford, NJ
Sewage in a house is a health hazard. The cleanup crew seals off the area, removes every wet porous material and treats the surfaces before any drying begins.
(888) 471-9821Contain the sewage backup- Containment and removal
- Antimicrobial treatment
- HEPA air scrubbing
First moves for sewage backup cleanup
- 1
Stay out and ventilate
Keep everyone and every pet away, and open a window if it is safe.
- 2
Stop using the drains
Do not flush or run water until the blockage is cleared.
- 3
Photograph from the door
Record the water without stepping into it.
- 4
Call a plumber and a cleanup crew
One clears the drain and the other treats the space.
How sewage backup cleanup is handled in Stratford, NJ
Each step follows the IICRC S500 drying standard and leaves a record for the claim file.
- 1
Contain
Plastic sheeting and negative air seal the work area.
- 2
Remove
Contaminated water and porous materials are bagged out and carried away.
- 3
Treat
Hard surfaces and framing are cleaned and treated with antimicrobial.
- 4
Dry and clear
Equipment dries the space, and readings confirm the result.
What does sewage backup cleanup cost in Stratford, NJ?
Sewage jobs cost more than clean-water jobs because everything porous must be removed and treated. Cost follows the area affected and whether the room is finished, and the high end covers a whole lower level.
A floor drain, unfinished area
$2,500 to $5,500
- Containment
- Extraction
- Antimicrobial treatment
A finished basement room
$5,500 to $12,000
- Carpet and pad removal
- Flood cuts
- HEPA air scrubbers
The whole lower level
$12,000 to $25,000+
- Full Category 3 removal
- Contents sorting
- Extended drying
Ranges move with the water category, the square footage, the material class and how fast drying started. For a planning number, run the water damage cost calculator.
A sewage backup is not a plumbing inconvenience. The water carries bacteria and viruses, and every porous material it touches is treated as a hazard that has to leave the building.
How the borough sewer is organized
The borough Sewer Utility handles the first part of the sewer, from where a home's service pipe meets the main in the street out to the county system. The Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority carries the sewage to its treatment plant in Camden City. The borough Sewer Team is on call 24 hours a day to review a backup and try to clear the drain when the outside sewer vent is accessible.
Who is responsible for what
The borough page says the lateral to the main is the property owner's responsibility, and that the utility is not responsible for damage from a backup through plumbing fixtures below grade. For a serious problem it advises calling a local plumber and getting more than one quote.
- The plumber clears or repairs the drain.
- The cleanup crew removes contaminated material and treats the space.
A backup is not automatically anyone's fault. The street side of the sewer belongs to the utility, and the house side belongs to the owner.
What the cleanup involves
Plastic sheeting contains the area and negative air keeps the smell and particles from spreading. Carpet, pad and low drywall are bagged out, hard surfaces are cleaned and treated, and only then does drying start.
- Porous items touched by the water, such as carpet, pad and insulation, are bagged and removed.
- Hard surfaces are cleaned, treated and dried.
If the water came from a flooded yard or a storm drain instead of a backed-up drain, follow storm and flash flood cleanup too. The borough also asks residents not to pour or dump anything into the storm drains. For a basement that also took on groundwater, see basement flooding cleanup.
Sewage backup cleanup across Stratford and nearby towns
Sewage cleanups cover homes across the borough, from Old Stratford to the Laurel Mill Farms area, plus restaurants, shops and offices along the White Horse Pike and Berlin Road, wherever a drain has backed up.
The same service nearby: sewage backup cleanup in Marlton, Somerdale, Lindenwold.
Related water damage services in Stratford
Sewage Backup Cleanup questions
Short, plain answers on sewage backup cleanup, from the first call to the last moisture reading.
Walk dispatch through what you seeIs sewage backup cleanup safe to do myself?
No. The water carries pathogens, and porous materials have to be removed with protective gear and proper disposal.
Does the borough clean up after a backup?
The Sewer Team reviews the backup and tries to clear it from the outside, but the borough says it is not responsible for damage through fixtures below grade.
Who owns the sewer lateral?
The property owner. The borough Sewer Utility page states that the lateral to the main is the owner's responsibility.
Can carpet be cleaned after a backup?
No. Carpet and pad that touched sewage are removed because they cannot be made safe.
What if the backup came from a clogged drain?
A plumber clears the drain, and the cleanup crew treats the affected area afterward.
Can the Sewer Team clear the drain from inside the house?
The team reviews a backup and tries to clear the drain when the outside sewer vent is accessible. It does not clean the rooms afterward.
How is the air kept safe during cleanup?
HEPA air scrubbers filter the air, and plastic containment keeps the contaminated area separate from the rest of the house.
Contaminated water spreads while it waits
Tell the crew which rooms are wet and whether a plumber has cleared the drain, and the containment plan will follow.