# Sewage Backup in Northern Virginia: What to Do and Who to Call

**Restoration Doctor** (VA Water Damage LLC dba Restoration Doctor)
Phone: 1-888-29-FLOOD (1-888-293-5663) · office@restorationdoctors.com
Mailing Address: 8609 Westwood Center Dr, Ste 110-1062, Vienna, VA 22182

> If sewage is backing up in your Northern Virginia home, keep people out and stop using water. Call Restoration Doctor at 1-888-293-5663 for Category 3 cleanup, and your sewer utility if the main may be blocked. We can be on-site in as little as 60 minutes across the Northern Virginia core. Response times vary based on crew availability and demand.

Updated October 2026

## At a glance

- Service area: Northern Virginia: Fairfax, Arlington, Loudoun, Prince William and Fauquier counties and the independent cities of Alexandria, Falls Church, Fairfax City, Manassas and Manassas Park
- Services: Sewage & Biohazard Cleanup, Water Damage Restoration
- Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (emergency response)
- Phone: 1-888-293-5663 (1-888-29-FLOOD)
- License: Virginia DPOR Class A contractor license 2705191604, issued to VA Water Damage LLC dba Restoration Doctor
- Standards: IICRC-certified · S500 / S520-aligned

## The first minutes of a sewage backup

1. **Keep everyone out**: Keep people, children and pets out of the affected rooms. Sewage is Category 3 water and can carry bacteria, viruses and parasites.
2. **Stop adding water**: Stop using water in the house. Prince William Water's guidance is to seal sink, tub and floor drains, and Fairfax County's is to call the county before a plumber if you think the problem is in the county main.
3. **Make the power safe**: If the backup is near outlets or the panel and you can reach the breaker without entering water, turn off power to the area. Otherwise leave it alone.
4. **Ask whether it is the main or your line**: Check whether neighbors have slow drains, then call the utility in the table below. If the public main is working normally, the cause is likely your own lateral and a plumber is the next call.
5. **Call for the cleanup**: Call 1-888-293-5663. A crew in protective equipment contains the area, removes contaminated porous materials and starts decontamination.

## Who to call about a sewer problem, by jurisdiction

These details were copied from each jurisdiction's own website on October 26, 2026. Check the site before you rely on a number.

| Where | What the jurisdiction says | Number |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Fairfax County | Call the 24-hour Customer Communications Center before a plumber if you think the problem is in the county main. A private lateral is the property owner's responsibility. | 703-323-1211 |
| Arlington County | Call the 24-hour water-sewer hotline for a water or sewer emergency. | 703-228-6555 |
| Prince William County | Call the 24-hour Emergency Dispatch for a sewage backup, and if in doubt, call. | 703-335-7990 |
| Alexandria | The city publishes who maintains each part of the lateral, by installation date; ask Alex311 whether the problem is in the public sewer. | 311 or 703-746-4311 |

Sources:
- [Town of Herndon, Water and Sewer Maintenance and Service](https://www.herndon-va.gov/Home/Components/StaffDirectory/StaffDirectory/76/)
- [Fairfax County Wastewater Collection](https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/publicworks/wastewater)
- [Arlington County, Report a Problem](https://www.arlingtonva.us/Government/Topics/Report-Problem/Online-Service-Request-Tool)
- [Prince William Water, Sewage Backups](https://princewilliamwater.org/our-customers/residential-customers/prevention/sewage-backups)
- [City of Alexandria, Sewer and Hydrant Maintenance](https://www.alexandriava.gov/public-works/sewer-and-hydrant-maintenance)

The Town of Herndon runs its own sewer, so a Herndon address calls the town at 703-435-6860. If your bill comes from another town or city utility, call the utility named on it.

## Why sewage is handled differently from other water

Under IICRC S500 sewage is Category 3, grossly contaminated water, and it stays Category 3 however small the visible mess is. A backed-up main, an overflowed toilet that reaches the floor, or floodwater that has run through streets and soil all fall into this category. The porous materials it touches, such as carpet, pad, drywall, insulation and particleboard, absorb contamination that cannot be washed back to a safe condition.

That is why the work is removal first, then decontamination: contaminated porous materials come out and are disposed of as contaminated waste, standing sewage and solids are extracted, and salvageable framing, concrete and subfloor are cleaned and treated with EPA-registered antimicrobials while HEPA air filtration runs. Then the structure is dried to documented standards so it does not grow mold or hold odor.

## Why backups happen here, and what to do afterward

In older Northern Virginia neighborhoods with mature trees, roots invade clay and cast-iron laterals and grow for years before the line blocks completely. Other causes are a failed ejector or sump pump serving a below-grade bathroom, a municipal main that surcharges in a heavy downpour, and grease. The backup shows at the lowest drain in the house, usually a basement floor drain, shower or toilet.

Once the cleanup is done, a camera inspection of the lateral is what tells you whether it will happen again. A battery backup on a sump or ejector pump and a maintenance check before storm season are inexpensive protection against the failures that cause these losses.

## Frequently asked questions

### Who do I call first when sewage backs up in Northern Virginia?

Keep everyone out of the area, then call the sewer utility from the table above if you think the main is involved, and Restoration Doctor at 1-888-293-5663 for the cleanup. If the public main is working normally, a plumber is the next call for your own line.

### How fast can a crew get to a sewage backup in Northern Virginia?

Dispatch runs 24 hours a day, and contamination worsens by the hour. We can be on-site in as little as 60 minutes across the Northern Virginia core. Response times vary based on crew availability and demand.

### Why can't I just clean up sewage myself?

Because it is Category 3 water carrying bacteria, viruses and parasites. Safe cleanup needs protective equipment, containment, proper disposal of contaminated materials and EPA-registered antimicrobials, not household cleaner. Keep children and pets out until the crew has finished.

### What has to be thrown away after a sewage backup?

Porous materials the sewage soaked: carpet, pad, drywall, insulation and particleboard. They cannot be reliably decontaminated in place. Framing, concrete and subfloor are cleaned, treated and dried instead.

### How much does sewage cleanup cost?

National guides list Category 3 water removal at about $7 to $7.50 per square foot before repairs, and Angi puts a basement with two feet of sewage backup at $2,800 or more. Those are national figures, not our prices. The cost guide linked below gives the sources.

### Does Restoration Doctor bill my insurance company?

No. You pay us directly, and you owe the whole invoice, not only your deductible. A deposit equal to your deductible is collected at signing, and the balance is due when the work is complete, charged to the card placed on file. Pricing and payment terms are set out in your written agreement. We provide our photos, moisture readings and invoice to you and, at your request, your insurer.

## Related pages

- [Water damage restoration cost in Northern Virginia](https://restorationdoctors.com/guides/water-damage-restoration-cost-northern-virginia): National ranges with their sources, and how our billing works.
- [Sewage cleanup in Fairfax](https://restorationdoctors.com/services/sewage-cleanup/fairfax): The county main, your lateral and the lowest drain.
- [Sewage cleanup in Arlington](https://restorationdoctors.com/services/sewage-cleanup/arlington): Rowhouses, condominiums and shared stacks.
- [Sewage cleanup in Alexandria](https://restorationdoctors.com/services/sewage-cleanup/alexandria): The combined sewer system and the lateral rules.
- [Sewage and biohazard cleanup](https://restorationdoctors.com/services/sewage-cleanup): Category 3 decontamination, step by step.
- [Flooded basement in Northern Virginia](https://restorationdoctors.com/guides/flooded-basement-northern-virginia-what-to-do): When the water is not sewage.

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Last updated: October 2026