A sewage emergency is one of the most unpleasant and risky problems a property owner can face. When foul drains fail, because of a blockage, a pipe collapse or a pump fault, raw sewage can back up through toilets, sinks and floor drains into your home or workplace. Sewage carries harmful bacteria, viruses and parasites, so professional clean-up matters. Our sewage emergency teams work around the clock. They carry protective gear, industrial extraction units, sanitising equipment and high-pressure jetting systems. We contain and remove the sewage safely, clear the drain failure and sanitise the affected areas. If a collapsed pipe or broken pump caused the backup, we carry emergency repair materials to restore flow. We also work with Thames Water if the problem starts in the public sewer. Fast action matters, because every hour of delay adds to the contamination, the damage and the health risk.
Send an enquiry through our 24/7 online form. We treat sewage emergencies as top priority, because the health risk is high. We then send an engineer with containment and clearing equipment as soon as we can.
When we arrive, we put on protective gear and isolate the sewage source where we can. Then we start to pump out the standing sewage with industrial-grade equipment. Because this is hazardous work, we use full protection throughout.
We find and fix the cause of the backup. That may mean clearing a blockage with jetting equipment, making an emergency pipe repair or dealing with a pump fault. As a result, normal flow returns to the drains.
We clean and sanitise the affected areas to cut the health risk. We advise on deeper cleaning if you need it, and we give you a report for your insurer. We also suggest ways to stop it happening again, since a repeat is costly and unpleasant.
The cost of a sewage emergency call-out in the Reading area depends on how far the contamination spread and what drain work we need. This includes containment, clearing and basic sanitising. We confirm costs as soon as we have assessed the situation, and there is no call-out fee. Request urgent help online, because a quick start limits the damage.
Yes. Raw sewage contains harmful bacteria such as E coli and Salmonella, as well as viruses and parasites. Avoid direct contact, keep children and pets away from affected areas, and do not try to clean up without protective gear. We strongly advise professional extraction and sanitising, because the risks are real.
Stay out of the affected rooms and open windows to ventilate the area. Turn off the electricity at the consumer unit if sewage is near sockets. Do not flush toilets or run taps, because that can make the backup worse. If you can, place towels at doorways to stop sewage reaching other rooms.
If the backup starts in the public sewer rather than your private drain, Thames Water handles the repair. We can tell you which one it is, because we check your private drains first. For a public sewer problem, we can contain the mess while you contact Thames Water.
These guides explain the basics, because knowing the cause helps you pick the right fix.