How urgent is a sewage backup, on a scale of 1 to 10?

At 8 to 10, sewage is on the floor near live power, comes with a gas smell, or is still rising. Get away from it and phone 911 or the utility. Around 4 to 7, the backup has stopped but the floor and the walls were wet with it, and the EPA lists sewage and contaminated water among the reasons to use a professional. At 1 to 3 a drain is only running slow.

Can bleach and fans handle a small backup?

The Hurricane Sandy advisory says not to use fans in a sewage-contaminated house, and that bleach can corrode and works less well on dirty surfaces. The EPA says sewage and contaminated water are reasons to bring in a professional. The CDC adds that floodwater may carry sewage and that suspect water is not for dishes, teeth or food.

Whose problem is a backup, the county's or mine?

Where the blockage sits decides it. Gwinnett puts a backup short of the right-of-way line on the owner. A blockage in the main is the utility's, and its dispatch line takes the report: 678.376.7000 in Gwinnett, and 770-307-6610 for Barrow County after hours. Barrow's pages do not state where the owner's side begins.

Does the contractor cover Carl and Mulberry for backups?

The contractor takes calls from Carl and Mulberry as well as Auburn. Carl's page says what is known about Carl's town offices, and Mulberry's page does the same for Mulberry and Gwinnett's numbers. Call us and say which fixtures backed up.

Backed-up drains and dirty water near Auburn

Sewage Backup Cleanup in Auburn, GA

Sewage backup cleanup in Auburn, GA begins when a floor drain, tub or toilet pushes dirty water into the house. Call us and say which fixtures backed up and what the water has reached.

Contact details

Technician in a coverall and respirator cutting out soaked drywall in a bathroom

What comes out of a sewage-soaked room

Soaked drywall, insulation and carpet are the materials that come out, in the order the contractor works through them. The Hurricane Sandy advisory says drywall soaked by contaminated floodwater is cut out: to 4 feet if the water stood under two and a half feet deep, and to 8 feet if it was deeper. Fibrous insulation soaked by floodwater is removed too.

The cutaway shown here is that stage, with the debris bagged and stacked behind.

What can follow a backup

Rooms that stay damp can grow mold, which is covered on mold after water damage. If the water also came from outside, read flooded basement and crawl space. Plain standing water on a floor is under water extraction and drying.

Technician in a respirator beside a cut-open wall showing dark spotting on drywall

Mold After Water DamageMold after water damage in Auburn, GA tends to appear as dark spotting on drywall or baseboard, a stale smell in a…

Puddle across the carpet of a lower-level playroom beside a bench of toy bins

Flooded Basement and Crawl SpaceA basement or crawl space holding water around Auburn, GA can mean a few inches of seep after a storm or a whole lower…

Technician working an extractor wand over a puddle on a carpeted hallway

Water Extraction and DryingCarpet that squishes, a puddle across a hallway, laminate starting to lift: that is where water extraction and drying…

Step outside and get help if

Sewage is on the floor: children and pets stay out of that room, and nobody crosses it in socks or bare feet.
Water or sewage is covering outlets, cords or the panel: stay out and leave the power to an electrician. Call 911 if anyone has had a shock.
A gas smell mixed in with the sewer odor: go outside first, then dial 911 or the gas utility from there.
A manhole or sewer is overflowing in the street or yard: stay clear and report it to the utility. Gwinnett's dispatch line is 678.376.7000, and Barrow County's emergency line is 770-307-6610.

Four things not to do with sewage water

Running fans through the house.
The Hurricane Sandy advisory says not to use fans in a sewage-contaminated house.
Trusting bleach to cure it.
The same advisory says bleach can corrode and is less effective when there is dirt on the surface.
Using the water for anything.
The CDC says not to use suspect water for dishes, brushing teeth or food.
Cleaning it alone with a mop.
The EPA lists sewage and contaminated water among the reasons to bring in a professional.

Auburn-area details

Barrow County's Wastewater Division counts about 2,755 customers across unincorporated Barrow, the City of Auburn, Statham and parts of Winder. Its emergency line, 770-307-6610, covers weekends and the weekday hours after 4:30 p.m. The office is at 59 Lee Street in Winder, open weekdays from 8 to 4.

Gwinnett's report page lists sewer backups and spills and overflowing manholes among the problems for its dispatch line, 678.376.7000. For a backup short of the right-of-way line, it puts the repair on the owner.

For a house on septic rather than sewer, the City of Auburn's stormwater page carries septic guides in English and Spanish.

Questions and plain answers

How urgent is a sewage backup, on a scale of 1 to 10?: At 8 to 10, sewage is on the floor near live power, comes with a gas smell, or is still rising. Get away from it and phone 911 or the utility. Around 4 to 7, the backup has stopped but the floor and the walls were wet with it, and the EPA lists sewage and contaminated water among the reasons to use a professional. At 1 to 3 a drain is only running slow.
Can bleach and fans handle a small backup?: The Hurricane Sandy advisory says not to use fans in a sewage-contaminated house, and that bleach can corrode and works less well on dirty surfaces. The EPA says sewage and contaminated water are reasons to bring in a professional. The CDC adds that floodwater may carry sewage and that suspect water is not for dishes, teeth or food.
Whose problem is a backup, the county's or mine?: Where the blockage sits decides it. Gwinnett puts a backup short of the right-of-way line on the owner. A blockage in the main is the utility's, and its dispatch line takes the report: 678.376.7000 in Gwinnett, and 770-307-6610 for Barrow County after hours. Barrow's pages do not state where the owner's side begins.
Does the contractor cover Carl and Mulberry for backups?: The contractor takes calls from Carl and Mulberry as well as Auburn. Carl's page says what is known about Carl's town offices, and Mulberry's page does the same for Mulberry and Gwinnett's numbers. Call us and say which fixtures backed up.

What to tell the contractor

Which drains or fixtures backed up, and whether the water is still coming
How far across the floor it spread and what it touched
Whether the problem is in one bathroom or the whole house
Whether neighbors report similar trouble
City sewer or septic, if you know

Sewer lines and who may open them

Opening walls after a backup and repairing a house sewer line can both involve town permits and a Georgia contractor license. Barrow County's desk and the desks in Auburn, Carl and Mulberry are listed on the hiring and paperwork page.

Where the facts come from7

Checked 1 Nov 2026