1. Stop the spread
Doors are closed, vents covered and the work area is isolated so contamination stays where it started.
Somerville, MA · Middlesex County
Wastewater has come up through a drain in Somerville and the smell is spreading. Call (877) 812-4220 to get the sewage removed, what cannot be saved discarded and the rest sanitized.
If anyone is in danger, call 911 first. For a suicide crisis, call or text 988.
Sewage removal is only the first stage of the job. The harder work is finding where the liquid traveled, taking out porous materials such as carpet padding and drywall, and disinfecting everything it touched.
Need residential or commercial sewage cleanup in Somerville or nearby parts of Middlesex County? Call Somerville Biohazard Cleanup Help for help in your basement, crawl space, garage, restroom, kitchen or utility room, wherever wastewater has spread.
About 80% of homes in Somerville were built before 1980, and older clay or cast iron sewer pipes crack and clog with roots over time. About 66% of households in Somerville rent, so sewage backups often involve a landlord, a property manager and a tenant at once. Clear documentation of the cleanup helps everyone.
Sewage & Biohazard Cleanup in Somerville usually includes:
Doors are closed, vents covered and the work area is isolated so contamination stays where it started.
Standing sewage is pumped or scooped out, and the contaminated area is mapped to see how far the liquid traveled.
Framing, subfloor and concrete are cleaned and treated, since sewage can soak into surfaces that look dry.
Disinfectant is applied to every affected surface, the space is dried and aired out, and the crew inspects the finished work.
Most sewage & biohazard cleanup jobs in Somerville, MA cost between $1,500 and $10,000, based on published cost guides.
Whether the area has finished surfaces or bare concrete affects the work. Sealed floors disinfect easily, while wood and unsealed masonry need more attention.
| Type of job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Typical project | $2,000 - $10,000 |
| Most homeowners | $2,000 - $10,000 |
| Category 3 sewage | $7.50 - $7.50 per square foot |
| Published span | $1,500 - $8,000 |
Published ranges only (Bob Vila, Fixr, BioCleaners Directory, Biohazard cleanup company pricing guide); every sewage & biohazard cleanup job in Somerville is priced after an on-site look. Price drivers include square footage affected, category of water, porous materials that must be removed, drying time. Questions? Call (877) 812-4220.
Treat it as raw sewage. Keep people out of the bathroom, stop using the fixture and call for cleanup. The liquid can reach under flooring and into walls, so a crew checks beyond the visible puddle.
Usually not. Carpet and padding soak up Category 3 water and cannot be reliably made safe, so they are cut out and discarded. Hard surfaces, sealed wood and items in closed containers can often be cleaned and kept.
Common signs include a sewer smell in the yard or crawl space, soft or damp ground near the foundation, gurgling drains and slow drains in several fixtures at once. A plumber can confirm the leak. Once it is found, a cleanup team can take care of the contaminated soil, materials and odor.
The smell comes from the contamination, so the fix is removing sewage and soaked materials first, then disinfecting and deodorizing. Air fresheners only cover it. If the odor persists, hidden material such as subfloor or insulation may still hold sewage.
Category 3 water is the most contaminated level, and sewage is the standard example. It can carry disease-causing germs and should never be cleaned with household supplies alone. Flood water that touched sewage is treated the same way.
No. Water from a clean source can often be dried in place, but sewage is a biohazard that requires removal of contaminated materials and disinfection. Drying alone does not make a sewage-affected space safe.
Call Somerville Biohazard Cleanup Help at (877) 812-4220 any hour, including nights and weekends.
Call (877) 812-4220