Sewage Backup Cleanup in Cheyenne, WY
Sewage is Category 3 water and carries pathogens. It is contained, removed and disinfected before anything is dried — and it is not a job to take on yourself.
Water still running? Shut off the main valve, stay clear of wet outlets and cords, then call.
Sewage is not a water cleanup
Under the industry standard, sewage is Category 3 water — the most contaminated classification there is. It carries bacteria, viruses and parasites, and it contaminates everything porous it reaches.
That changes the job completely. Clean water cleanup is about drying. Sewage cleanup is about decontamination first, and drying second.
Household cleaners do not sanitize Category 3 contamination, a shop vac spreads it as aerosol, and the health risk is real. Keep people and pets out of the affected area until it has been contained.
What causes it here
- A blockage in your lateral line. The pipe from the house to the city main is the homeowner's responsibility. Roots, grease and collapsed sections are the usual culprits.
- A blockage in the city main. The City of Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities runs crews around the clock for sewer calls on the main. Report it to them as well as calling us.
- Heavy inflow during a melt or storm. When the system takes more water than it can carry, the lowest fixture in the lowest house backs up first — usually a basement floor drain.
Cheyenne
Every residential ZIP code in Cheyenne — Capitol Hill, Lakeview, Sunnyside, the Historic District, and north, south, east and west Cheyenne.
Laramie County
Pine Bluffs · Burns · Carpenter · Albin · Hillsdale · Granite Canon · Horse Creek · Meriden · F.E. Warren AFB
How the cleanup runs
Containment first. The affected area is sealed off before anything is moved, so contamination does not travel through the house on foot traffic or air.
Extraction and removal. Liquid and solids come out. Then anything porous that has been in contact with it goes: carpet, pad, insulation, particle board, affected drywall. These materials cannot be reliably sanitized, which is why they are removed rather than cleaned.
Cleaning and disinfection. Hard surfaces are cleaned, then treated with an antimicrobial. Framing and subfloor get the same treatment once the porous material is gone.
Drying. Only once the area is decontaminated does the drying equipment go in, with readings logged until the structure is dry.
What usually has to be thrown out
- Carpet and carpet pad
- Insulation and affected drywall
- Particle board, MDF and laminate flooring
- Upholstered furniture and mattresses that were in contact
- Food, and anything stored in cardboard
Sealed hard goods, glass, metal and most solid wood can usually be cleaned and kept.
Sewage is the most demanding end of water damage restoration in Cheyenne. If it came up through a basement floor drain it is also a flooded basement job, with the same drying work once the contamination is gone.
Water in your home right now?
Every hour of delay spreads the damage and raises the cost of putting it right.
Common questions
Is sewage backup covered by my insurance?
Standard homeowner policies in Wyoming usually exclude it. Cover normally requires a specific water backup and sump overflow endorsement, which is inexpensive and often added at renewal. Check your declarations page for that wording. It is the most common coverage gap people discover after the fact.
Who is responsible, me or the city?
The line from your house to the city main is yours. The main itself is the city's. Report the backup to the Board of Public Utilities so they can check for a plug in the main, and call us for the cleanup inside the building — the city does not handle cleanup inside a property.
How long before it is safe to use the room again?
Usually three to seven days, depending on how far the contamination spread and how much material had to come out. Decontamination comes first, then drying, and the area stays sealed until both are finished.
The backup was small. Does it still need all of this?
A small volume of Category 3 water still contaminates what it touches. The scope is smaller but the process is the same: contain, remove porous materials, disinfect, dry. The quantity of water matters less than what is in it.
What about the smell?
Odor that lingers after cleanup almost always means contaminated material was left in place — inside a wall cavity, under flooring, or in the subfloor. The smell is the symptom. Finding what is still contaminated is the fix.