- Avoid contact with sewage wherever possible.
- Wear protective clothing and protect any cuts and grazes with waterproof dressings.
- Wash your hands after any exposure and treat footwear with a mild disinfectant.
- Keep children and pets out of the contaminated area.
- Contact a doctor immediately if you swallow any contaminated material or if you suffer vomiting or diarrhoea.
What to do during a sewer flood
This guide explains what to do and how we can help during a sewer flood.
1. Identify the type of flooding
There are different types of flooding, but we can only help with sewer floods.
Identify the type of flooding to ensure that you contact the right organisation.
2. Check who is responsible
If it is sewer flooding, you will need to check who is responsible for fixing it.
We will clear the blockage if it is on the public sewer. We can also help if extreme weather has caused the public sewer to flood.
But if a problem with your private drain has caused the flood, you will be responsible.
Learn more about who is responsible for different types of sewer pipes.
3. Call us or a drainage contractor
If the flooding has come from the public sewer, call our Sewage Floodline on 0345 850 5 959 (24 hours) as soon as possible.
When you call, please let us know if you or someone in your home has any extra needs. This includes any mobility problems or a disability.
If the flooding is due to a problem with your private drain, use DrainSafe to find a private drainage contractor.
If you’re not sure what has caused it, you can call us for advice on what to do.
4. Contact your insurer
You should also get in touch with your household insurance company. Any claims for loss or damage must go to them.
They will give you advice about what to do to meet the terms and conditions of your policy.
5. Finding and fixing the issue
We aim to respond within two hours for internal flooding and four hours for external flooding. When we visit, we will try to find and fix the issue.
If we are experiencing severe weather, it may take us a little longer to get to you. We may also need to respond to internal floods before external floods.
We will always keep you informed about when we will get to your property.
6. Cleaning up
After we have fixed the issue, we will return at another time to clean up where possible.
We aim to carry out clean-ups within 12 hours for internal floods and 24 hours for external floods.
Learn more about what to expect from our free clean-up service.
7. Claim compensation
If a problem with the public sewer caused the flooding, we will compensate you.
However, there are certain circumstances where you will not be entitled to compensation.
Find out more about sewer flooding compensation.