What sets a commercial sewage event apart
- People on site
- Customers and employees may already have walked through the area
- Food safety
- Restaurants must consider food, prep surfaces and utensils, and may need to involve the local public health agency
- Employer duties
- Staff asked to clean must be protected and trained under workplace safety rules
- Lost business
- Every closed hour matters, which creates pressure to cut corners
Sorting out the first hour
- IfSewage is near electrical outlets, equipment or panelsThenKeep people away and have an electrician or the utility cut power to the area. Call 911 if anyone is at risk of shock.
- IfSewage reached a kitchen, food storage or prep area in a food businessThenStop food service in affected areas and contact your city or county public health agency for guidance before reopening. In Denver, that is the city's public health department; suburban counties have their own.
- IfThe overflow is still runningThenStop water use in the building and call a plumber. If the blockage may be in the public sewer main, contact the sewer utility for your address.
- IfOnly a restroom floor is affected and the source is stoppedThenClose the restroom, post a simple sign and arrange professional cleanup rather than having staff mop it.
From closure to reopening
- Close and mark the area.Use doors, barriers and signs. Keep foot traffic from carrying contamination into dining rooms, sales floors or offices.
- Document before cleanup.Photograph affected areas, inventory and equipment. Note the time the problem started and when it stopped.
- Bring in trained cleanup.Ask the provider how porous materials, including ceiling tiles, carpet tiles, cardboard stock and drywall bases, will be handled.
- Discard what cannot be cleaned.Food, packaging, paper goods and porous stock touched by sewage generally have to be discarded. Your insurer may want a list first.
- Disinfect and dry.Hard surfaces are cleaned and disinfected; wall cavities and flooring are dried and checked before closing up.
- Confirm before reopening.Get written documentation of the work, and for food businesses, follow any direction from the health inspector before resuming service.
What employees should not be asked to do
Common questions
- Does business insurance cover sewage backups?
- Some commercial policies cover sewer or drain backup, often as an endorsement with its own limits. Check the policy and ask the agent; business interruption coverage may also apply.
General information for the Denver area, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.