Who do I call first when sewage backs up in Naperville?
The City of Naperville Water Utility. The city asks residents to call before a plumber whenever sewage backs up from a floor drain or the sewer leaving the home. Daytime: (630) 420-6137. After hours: (630) 420-6060.
A city representative will check whether the problem is in the city's main sewer line, at no cost to you. If it is, you have saved the price of a plumber. If the main is clear, the city will tell you to hire a plumber for your private line and will measure the distance from your house to the main. The city says this call is especially important during heavy rain.
One exception: if only one fixture is backing up, like a single toilet or sink, and all your other drains work, the city says that is an internal problem. Call a plumber directly.
Until the cause is fixed, stop using water. No flushing, no showers, no laundry or dishwasher. Every drain in the house leads to the same pipe, so water you send down can come right back up in the basement.
Is sewer backup water dangerous?
Yes. Sewage is IICRC Category 3 water, grossly contaminated and able to carry pathogens, even when it looks fairly clear. Keep children and pets away and do not clean it up without protection.
The EPA says that if water damage was caused by sewage or other contaminated water, you should call in a professional who has experience cleaning buildings damaged by contaminated water. If you must go near it, wear rubber boots, waterproof gloves and eye protection, and wash thoroughly afterward. Do not walk sewage through the rest of the house.
What does professional sewer backup cleanup involve?
Removing the sewage, removing porous materials it touched, cleaning and treating every affected surface, then drying the structure and confirming it is dry with moisture readings.
- Containment and protection. The company works to keep contamination in the affected area.
- Extraction. Standing sewage is pumped or extracted.
- Removal. Carpet and pad that sewage touched are almost always discarded. Drywall, insulation and baseboards in the wet zone are usually cut out. The EPA notes porous materials can be impossible to fully clean once contaminated or moldy.
- Cleaning and treatment. Hard surfaces such as concrete, framing and tile are cleaned and treated.
- Drying. Air movers and dehumidifiers run until moisture readings show the materials are dry.
- Rebuild. New drywall, insulation and flooring, often under a city permit if it is a finished basement.
Does homeowners insurance cover a sewer backup?
Usually only if you added a sewer and drain backup endorsement before it happened. The Insurance Information Institute notes sewer backups are not covered under a typical homeowners policy or by flood insurance.
Backup endorsements have their own limit, which can be well below the cost of a finished basement, and may have their own deductible. Check your declarations page for "water backup" or "sewer and drain backup". Photograph everything before cleanup and keep a list of damaged items. Our Illinois insurance guide covers the rest.
Can Naperville help pay to prevent the next backup?
Possibly. The city reimburses 75 percent of the cost of an approved backflow prevention device for Water Utility customers whose sanitary sewer backed up because heavy rain surcharged the system. You must confirm the cause with the city and get approval before work begins.
The steps, per the city's program page: call the Water Service Center to confirm the backup was a wastewater issue, apply, and wait for city approval before scheduling installation. The program covers sanitary sewer backups only. It does not cover stormwater flooding, water through foundation cracks, windows or doors, or an overwhelmed or failed sump pump. A related fix many homeowners ask about is an overhead sewer, which raises the sewer pipe above the basement floor. Ask a plumber which option fits your house.
The city has also run a residential sanitary sewer lining program since 1998 that rehabilitates aging service lines without digging up yards. Ask the Water Utility whether your street is in it.
Why do Naperville sewers back up during storms?
When intense rain gets into the sanitary sewer system, the pipes can surcharge, meaning they fill beyond capacity and push sewage back toward the lowest openings, which are often basement floor drains.
That is why Naperville asks that sump pumps discharge outside the house, not into the sanitary sewer: clear water pumped into the sewer adds to the overload during a storm. If you are not sure where your sump discharges, the city's Stormwater Team is at (630) 420-6100, option 4.
How soon does this need to happen?
Start as soon as the backup stops. The EPA says wet materials should be dried within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold, and sewage adds a contamination problem on top of that.
Call the city, stop using water, take photos, then call a restoration company. Press 1 on our line and we connect you with a local water damage restoration company. The Naperville water damage guide covers the full picture, including how to choose a company.