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Sewage backup cleanup in Omaha, NE

Sewer water coming up through a drain? Stay out of it and call for a local crew.

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Black and white photo of a toilet on a small tiled bathroom floor

Why sewage needs a crew

Sewage carries bacteria and viruses, and it soaks into anything porous. Cleanup crews wear protective gear and follow a set process:

  1. Remove the sewage and any standing water.
  2. Tear out carpet, pad, drywall, insulation and other porous materials the water touched.
  3. Clean and disinfect hard surfaces, including the floor, framing and foundation walls.
  4. Dry the area completely and check that odor is gone.

Keep kids and pets out of the area, and stop using water in the house until the backup is cleared. Every flush and every load of laundry adds to it.

Find out where the backup started

There are two common causes, and they lead to different fixes:

  • A blockage in your own sewer line. Tree roots, grease or a collapsed section of an old clay or cast iron line. This usually shows up when you run water in the house. A plumber with a camera can find it.
  • The city sewer overloading. During heavy rain, the public sewer can fill up and push water back up into basement floor drains, even when your own line is clear. This happens most in neighborhoods with older sewers.

A backwater valve on the main line can stop city sewage from coming back into the house. Ask a plumber whether your house has one.

Sewer backups in Omaha

Many of Omaha's older neighborhoods east of 72nd Street are still served by combined sewers, which carry storm water and household sewage in the same pipe. When a heavy storm sends more water into those pipes than they can move, the overflow has to go somewhere, and basement floor drains are one of the places it ends up. The city is partway through a roughly $2 billion program, scheduled to run into the 2030s, to separate pipes and build storage that cuts those overflows.

Backups are not limited to old neighborhoods. Heavy rain at the end of September 2026 sent sewer water into basements across Omaha. The city asked homeowners to report backups to its sewer maintenance division, and pointed people who wanted to file a damage claim to the city clerk. The city reviews each claim, and that review can take six months or more, so get cleanup started without waiting for it.

Take photos, keep receipts and write down when the water came up. You may need all of it for both your insurance company and a claim with the city.

Have this ready when you call

  1. What is leaking or flooding, if you know: a pipe, the water heater, a sump pit, a floor drain, the washer, or rain coming in.
  2. Whether the water looks clean, or smells like sewer.
  3. Which rooms and floors got wet, and about how long ago it started.
  4. Whether you were able to shut off the water, and whether any wet rooms still have power on.
  5. Your neighborhood or nearest cross street in Omaha, so the call goes to a crew that works near you.

A couple of minutes on the phone is usually enough to get a local company headed your way.

Call (402) 555-0148

Free call. You do not have to hire anyone.

Common questions before you call

Is sewage backup covered by homeowners insurance?

Usually only if you added a water backup or sewer backup endorsement to your policy. Without it, the standard policy often excludes it. Check your declarations page or call your agent.

Can I clean up a small sewage backup myself?

A small amount on a hard floor that you catch right away can be cleaned with gloves, boots and disinfectant. Anything that reached carpet, drywall or a large area should be handled by a crew with protective gear.

Should I report it to the City of Omaha?

If you think the city sewer caused it, yes. The city asks residents to call the sewer maintenance division, and damage claims go through the city clerk. Keep your photos and cleanup invoices.

Water damage? Call now(402) 555-0148