Clean, gray or black water
Water from the tank or a supply line is clean at first. Water from the bowl without waste is Category 2. An overflow with waste is Category 3, the same as sewage. The category decides what can be dried in place and what has to be removed, so tell the contractor what was in the water.
Where the water goes
Overflow water runs under the toilet, under vanity cabinets and baseboards, and into the subfloor. On an upper floor it often comes through the ceiling or light fixtures below.
How the cleanup works
The contractor removes the water, disinfects hard surfaces, removes contaminated porous materials, and dries the subfloor and any ceiling below.
- Extraction of standing water
- Cleaning and disinfection of floors, fixtures and walls
- Removal of contaminated flooring, pad or baseboards where needed
- Drying of subfloor, cabinets and ceilings below
The clog or the valve
Clearing the clog, replacing a fill valve or resetting the toilet is plumbing work, separate from the cleanup.
Before the call
Turn off the water at the valve behind the toilet. If water is coming through a ceiling, turn off power to fixtures in that area and stay out from under a sagging ceiling.
Questions
Is a toilet overflow a biohazard?
If the water contained waste, yes. It is handled as Category 3 water, the same as sewage.
Will the contractor unclog the toilet?
No. This service covers cleanup, disinfection and drying. Clearing the clog is plumbing work.
The overflow came through my ceiling. What happens?
The contractor checks moisture in the ceiling and any insulation above, removes contaminated material and dries the cavity.