Sewage Cleanup in Colorado Springs

Updated November 12, 2026

Sewage cleanup is the job where you should not cut corners. Water from a sewer line or septic system is classified as Category 3, or black water, meaning it carries bacteria, viruses and other contaminants that can make people sick. Everything it touches has to be either removed or thoroughly disinfected. In Colorado Springs, the cause depends a lot on where you live: older neighborhoods have aging clay sewer laterals, while Black Forest and much of the eastern county rely on septic systems. This page explains both, what to do first, and how cleanup works.

Where sewage backups come from

City sewer and older laterals

Inside the city, Colorado Springs Utilities operates the public sewer system. The pipe from your house to the main, often called the lateral or service line, is typically yours to maintain. In older neighborhoods like the Old North End, Patty Jewett and Old Colorado City, many of those laterals are clay or Orangeburg pipe. Tree roots work into joints, clay cracks as soils shift, and Orangeburg can collapse. A partial blockage often causes backups into the lowest drain in the house, usually a basement floor drain or shower.

Septic systems

Black Forest and many rural properties across the eastern county rely on private septic systems. El Paso County Public Health regulates those systems. A tank that has not been pumped in years, a drain field saturated by heavy rain or snowmelt, or a line clogged with wipes and grease can push sewage back into the house. Our Black Forest and Calhan pages say more about homes out that way.

Storm related backups

Heavy storms can overload sewer mains and push water back through house connections, especially in low lying homes. Saturated ground can also push groundwater into cracked laterals.

Inside the house

A clogged toilet, a main line blocked with grease, or a washing machine draining into a slow line can cause a smaller backup.

What to do right now

1. Stop using water. No flushing, showers, laundry or dishwasher. Every gallon that goes down the drain may come back up.
2. Keep people and pets away. Close the door to the area if you can.
3. Turn off power to the affected area at the panel only if you can do it from a dry location.
4. Do not try to clean it with household products alone. Mixing bleach with other cleaners can create toxic fumes.
5. Ventilate if you can open windows without walking through the contaminated area.
6. Wash hands thoroughly after any contact, and remove and wash any clothing that touched sewage separately.
7. If someone feels ill after exposure, call your doctor, or 911 in an emergency.

If a toilet or floor drain is still bubbling, a plumber may need to clear the line before cleanup starts. There is little point cleaning a basement that will flood again with the next flush upstairs.

How sewage cleanup works

Containment and protective gear

The crew wears protective suits, gloves, boots and respirators. They often hang plastic sheeting and use air scrubbers to keep contamination from spreading to clean parts of the house.

Removal of sewage and solids

Standing sewage is pumped or extracted into containers for proper disposal. Solids are removed by hand.

Removal of contaminated materials

Under standard industry guidance, porous materials soaked with Category 3 water are removed: carpet, pad, drywall up past the wet line, insulation, particleboard cabinets and often upholstered furniture. Items that can be cleaned, like solid wood, metal and hard plastic, are set aside for cleaning. The guide to water damage categories explains why this standard exists.

Cleaning and disinfection

Every remaining surface is scrubbed and treated with a disinfectant made for sewage cleanup. That includes the slab, framing, bottom plates and anything else the water reached.

Drying

After cleaning, air movers and dehumidifiers dry the area. Moisture readings confirm the structure is dry before rebuilding.

Verification and rebuild

Some crews do a final cleaning check before rebuilding. Then new drywall, insulation, flooring and paint go in. Ask for a written summary of what was removed and how the area was disinfected, since it helps with the claim and with any future buyer. Fixing the line or septic system before that point is important.

Protecting the house from the next backup

• Backwater valve. A plumber can install a valve on the main sewer line that closes when sewage tries to flow back toward the house.
• Camera inspection. In an older home, a camera run through the lateral can show roots, cracks and sags before they cause a backup.
• Septic pumping. Tanks need pumping on a schedule that depends on tank size and how many people live there. Your septic company can set the interval.
• What goes down the drain. So-called flushable wipes, cooking grease and paper towels cause many blockages in both sewer and septic lines.
• Floor drain protection. Some basement floor drains can be fitted with a check valve that stops backflow.

What drives the cost

The company that inspects gives you a written scope and price before they begin. The factors that move it include:

Our article on what to do after a sewage backup goes into more detail.

How long it takes

Cleanup and removal usually take one to two days for a typical basement backup. Drying takes another 3 to 5 days in most cases. The rebuild depends on how much was removed, and may take one to several weeks.

Insurance and sewage backups

Standard homeowners policies often exclude backup from sewers and drains unless you have a water backup or sewer backup endorsement. If you have one, check its limit, since it is often lower than your main policy. Septic system failures can be treated differently again. Flood policies cover some sewage situations only when the backup was caused by a flood. If you think a public main caused the backup, contact your utility, but plan to work through your own insurer first. See does homeowners insurance cover water damage in Colorado for more.

When to call

Call as soon as sewage comes up through a drain, toilet or tub, especially in a finished basement. Do not wait to see if it drains back down on its own. If a backup happens more than once, also call a plumber or septic service to find the cause. For water from clean sources, see our water damage restoration page.

Sources and official resources

• Contractor license lookup (Pikes Peak Regional Building Department)
• Homeowners insurance help (Colorado Division of Insurance)
• IICRC: restoration industry standards body
• Septic systems and private wells (El Paso County Public Health)
• Bloodborne pathogens (OSHA)