Arvada, CO · Jefferson County · Extraction, drying, and repair
Sewage Cleanup in Arvada, CO
This isn't a mop-and-bucket situation. Sewage carries bacteria and pathogens that need protective equipment and controlled disposal, not a weekend DIY afternoon.
Why This One Is Different From Every Other Water Call
Every other kind of water damage on this site involves water you'd rather not have in your house. Sewage is water you should not touch with bare skin. It's classified as Category 3, the most contaminated tier, and that classification isn't bureaucratic caution, it reflects real exposure risk to bacteria, viruses, and parasites that a household mop simply cannot address safely.
If you're standing in it right now: stop, get pets and kids out of the area, and don't run any more water in the house until the source is addressed, since additional water can push more sewage back through whatever's already blocked.
Where the Water in Question Actually Came From
In Arvada's older blocks, especially around Olde Town and the immediately surrounding streets, cast iron sewer laterals are reaching the end of a normal service life, and a cracked or root-invaded line is the single most common reason we get called for a basement floor drain backup. If that's what caused yours, our sewer line camera inspection and repair service finds the actual defect so the same thing doesn't happen again during the next heavy rain.
How the Cleanup Actually Runs
Standing sewage gets extracted with equipment rated for contaminated water, not a household shop vac, which isn't built for this and isn't safe for it either. Anything porous that touched the water, carpet, carpet pad, usually the bottom foot or so of drywall, gets removed and bagged for disposal rather than cleaned, since porous material holds contamination in ways surface disinfection can't reach.
Every remaining surface gets treated with an EPA-registered antimicrobial, and then the space goes through the same structural drying process as any other water job, because a sewage backup still leaves real moisture behind in framing and subfloor even after the visible mess is gone.
If This Isn't the First Time
A single backup during an unusually heavy storm is one thing. A second or third occurrence in the same spot is a different conversation entirely, and at that point we push harder for a camera inspection before the next event, because repeat backups almost always trace back to a specific, fixable blockage or line defect rather than bad luck.
Why We Don't Let Homeowners Handle This Themselves
We understand the instinct to just grab a mop and get it over with, especially when it's a small amount of water. We still advise against it, because sewage exposure risk isn't proportional to how much water you can see. A single cup of contaminated water carries the same pathogen load as a flooded basement; the difference is only in how far it's spread. Protective equipment, controlled disposal, and proper disinfectant contact time aren't overcautious steps, they're the actual minimum for handling this safely.
| Question | If Yes | If No |
|---|---|---|
| Did water sit for more than a couple hours? | Porous flooring and lower drywall usually need removal | Extraction and disinfection may be sufficient |
| Has this happened before at this location? | Camera inspection of the lateral line strongly recommended | Likely a one-time event tied to the recent storm |
| Did water reach finished walls or stored belongings? | Item-by-item assessment needed before disposal decisions | Cleanup can focus on hard flooring only |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use my own wet vac to get the standing water out before you arrive?
We'd rather you didn't. A household wet vac isn't sealed the way contaminated-water extraction equipment is, and using it on sewage means you're now cleaning contamination out of your vacuum too. Stay out of the area and wait for equipment built for this.
Will homeowners insurance cover a sewage backup?
Often not by default. Standard policies frequently exclude sewer backup unless you've added a specific backup endorsement, which is a common and inexpensive add-on for Colorado homeowners. Worth checking your policy today, not after the next backup.
How do I know if the smell is actually gone after cleanup, or just masked?
A properly disinfected and dried space shouldn't have lingering odor once materials that absorbed contamination are removed. If a smell persists after our cleanup, that's a sign something porous got missed or the source is still active, and we'd want to know so we can address it, not mask it.