24/7 emergency dispatch

Black water cleanup? Don’t touch it. Call for safe cleanup.

Black water may contain sewage, waste, bacteria, chemicals, or other contaminants from sewer backups, drain backups, toilet overflows, storm water, or flood water. The Flood Team helps remove contaminated water, clean and sanitize affected areas, dry the structure, reduce odor, support repairs, and document the damage for insurance.

If contaminated water is inside your property, avoid contact, keep people away, stop using nearby plumbing, and call for help right away.

What to do right now

First steps after black water damage

Act fast: avoid contact, keep people and pets away, stop using plumbing if a backup is involved, take photos if safe, and call a 24/7 cleanup team before contamination spreads into floors, walls, and hidden spaces.

01.

Avoid contact with the water

Black water may contain sewage, waste, bacteria, chemicals, or other contaminants. Do not walk through it, touch it, or try to clean it without proper protection.

02.

Keep people and pets away

Keep children, pets, tenants, customers, staff, and visitors away from affected rooms until the area has been cleaned, sanitized, and dried properly.

03.

Stop using drains and fixtures

If the issue involves a sewer backup, toilet overflow, or drain backup, do not flush toilets, run sinks, use showers, start the dishwasher, or use the washing machine until the source is checked.

04.

Avoid electrical hazards

Do not touch outlets, cords, appliances, HVAC equipment, breaker panels, or electrical items near wet or contaminated areas.

05.

Take photos if safe

Document the contaminated water, affected rooms, drains, toilets, flooring, walls, baseboards, damaged belongings, and any visible source before cleanup begins.

06.

Call for black water cleanup

Black water cleanup may require contaminated water removal, safe material handling, sanitizing, odor treatment, drying, moisture checks, and repair support.

Do not treat black water like normal water damage. Contaminated water can create health and safety concerns and may require professional cleanup, sanitizing, drying, and material removal before the area is safe to use again.

Will insurance help with this?

Coverage depends on the source of the black water, whether sewer backup, drain backup, storm water, outside flooding, or plumbing failure is involved, how sudden the damage was, and your policy. The Flood Team helps document photos, moisture readings, affected materials, cleanup steps, sanitizing, drying progress, and repair scope details so the claim process is easier to manage.

Why black water damage needs professional cleanup

Black water damage can happen from sewer backups, sewage backups, toilet overflows, drain backups, storm water intrusion, flood water, or contaminated basement water. Because the water may carry waste, bacteria, chemicals, or debris, the cleanup process is different from a standard clean water leak.

Even after the water stops rising, the property may still need contaminated water removal, safe material disposal, cleaning, sanitizing, odor control, structural drying, moisture checks, mold prevention, repair support, and insurance documentation.

Contamination can spread quickly

Black water can move across floors, into walls, under baseboards, through carpet, into cabinets, and into nearby rooms.

Porous materials may be affected

Carpet, padding, drywall, insulation, trim, and contaminated contents may need special handling or removal depending on the damage.

Odor and moisture can remain

Even after visible water is removed, odor, contamination, and moisture can remain in flooring, walls, baseboards, and hidden spaces.

Every hour counts.

The faster contaminated water cleanup, sanitizing, and drying begin, the lower the risk of contamination spread, odor, hidden moisture, mold, damaged materials, and larger repairs.

~45 min
Avg. response

24/7
Live dispatch

How we fix it

One team for the whole black water emergency

We do more than remove visible water. The Flood Team helps control the source, remove contaminated water and debris, clean and sanitize affected areas, dry the structure, document the damage, and support repairs.

Control the source

The sewer backup, drain backup, toilet overflow, storm water entry, flood water source, or related plumbing issue needs to be controlled before full cleanup and drying can move forward.

Remove contaminated water

Black water, standing water, debris, and affected materials are removed from basements, bathrooms, drain areas, flooring, carpet, and nearby rooms using professional equipment.

Clean, sanitize, and dry

Affected surfaces may need cleaning, sanitizing, odor treatment, drying equipment, dehumidification, and moisture checks depending on the source and level of contamination.

Restore and repair

After cleanup and drying, damaged drywall, flooring, trim, paint, insulation, cabinets, and other materials may need repair or reconstruction.

Documentation that makes the process easier

The Flood Team helps document black water cleanup with photos, moisture readings, affected material notes, cleanup details, sanitizing steps, drying progress, and repair scope support. We do not decide coverage, but we help make the restoration side of the claim easier to understand.

Photos of affected areas

The contaminated water source, affected rooms, drains, toilets, standing water, flooring, walls, damaged materials, and nearby areas can be documented before and during cleanup.

Moisture readings

Moisture checks help show where black water traveled and what materials may need drying, cleaning, or removal.

Cleanup and sanitizing notes

Contaminated water removal, debris handling, material removal, sanitizing, odor treatment, drying equipment, and progress details can be recorded during the job.

Repair scope support

Damaged drywall, flooring, trim, insulation, cabinets, paint, and nearby finished materials may need a clear repair scope after cleanup and drying.

Every hour counts.

The faster water removal and drying begin, the lower the risk of hidden moisture, mold, damaged materials, and larger reconstruction needs.

~45 min
Avg. response

24/7
Live dispatch

Trusted for fast cleanup, drying, and restoration

Customers trust The Flood Team for quick response, water extraction, drying, repair support, insurance coordination, and clear communication from start to finish.

    
 
 
         
   Nathan Merry 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I used Blake and his crew at The Flood Team and once again they did a fantastic job. Very professional and they communicate throughout every step of the process.  Highly recommend.
  
 
        
   eileen W 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. The Flood team did a very good job for the mitigation. We did not have any issue after the job was done. Blake gave an estimate, and final price was the same. We had another company estimated, and told us a loose estimate, may be more after the job is done and we have to sign that agreement. We didn't like that. Blake responded very quick and came in a few days after we signed the contract. He kept his words about days when he will be at the house. The other company told us at least a week or more. Blake's estimate was reasonable compared to the other company. He also gave us some knowledge about things which are covered under our insurance. I highly recommend him and the flood team. We will use them again if needed in the future.
  
 
        
   Rob Haller 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. The Flood Team crew arrives on time, professionally extracts the water, dry’s everything thoroughly, and handles the drywall repairs with care. They even help coordinate with your  insurance.  They really take the stress out of a nightmare situation. Highly recommend for any water damage restoration needs.
  
 
        
   Barry Suntrup 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Very professional and trustworthy
  
 
        
   Shelbey Stone 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. The Flood Team did a very professional job mitigating the water from our 900 square feet basement. One of the rooms was finished, and they were able to save the carpet. They were able to tow away our damaged goods the same day and carried them all upstairs. They bricked all our furniture for the drying process and promptly and accurately recorded saturation eta the following days to be sure the basement was drying as expected. When the insurance adjuster came to view the damage, a flood team representative came back out to be here in case there were any technical questions about the mitigation process they executed.
  
 
        
   Megan Gordon 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. They came out quickly,  handled our interior storm damage efficiently, and the clean up they did after was impressive! They have been professional and so pleasant to work with. This whole experience has been stressful, but they made it easier!
  
 
        
   JENNIFER BINGHAM 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Very helpful team! They were responsive, informative and did a great job at our home!!!
  
 
        
   Angie Williams 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Reached out to Flood Team and Thor came the same day.  He was professional, knowledgeable, considerate and a hard worker.  Once Thor determined the areas that water existed underneath the underlying floors, he pulled up all damaged flooring.  He also took extra care when moving my furniture, he strategically set up humidifiers and industrial fans on two floors to speed up the drying process.  He checked in daily to give updates.  Highly recommend
  
 
        
   Susan Mintz 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Very response and helpful! Made the extra effort to do what they could for us under dynamic circumstances.

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Reconstruction and repairs

Drywall, flooring, cabinets, ceilings, trim, painting, and repair support after cleanup and drying are complete.

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Insurance claims support

Photos, moisture readings, affected material notes, cleanup details, and repair scope support.

Black water cleanup FAQs

Find quick answers about dishwasher leaks, washing machine overflows, water heater leaks, refrigerator water line leaks, cleanup, drying, repairs, and insurance support.

What should I do first after black water damage?

Avoid contact with the water, keep people and pets away, stop using plumbing fixtures if a backup is involved, avoid electrical hazards, take photos if safe, and call The Flood Team for contaminated water cleanup, sanitizing, and drying support.

What is black water?

Black water is water that may contain sewage, waste, bacteria, chemicals, debris, or other contaminants. It can come from sewer backups, toilet overflows, drain backups, storm water, or flood water.

Is black water dangerous?

It can be. Black water may contain harmful contaminants, so you should avoid touching it, walking through it, or trying to clean it without proper protection.

Do I need professional cleanup for black water damage?

Yes. Black water cleanup may require contaminated water removal, safe material handling, sanitizing, odor control, drying, moisture checks, and repair support.

Can black water damage cause mold?

Yes. If moisture remains in flooring, drywall, baseboards, insulation, or hidden spaces, mold can grow. Fast cleanup, sanitizing, and drying help reduce that risk.

Does insurance cover black water cleanup?

Coverage depends on your policy, the source of the water, and whether sewer backup, drain backup, outside flooding, storm water, sudden damage, or maintenance-related issues are involved. The Flood Team helps document photos, moisture readings, cleanup steps, sanitizing details, and repair scope support.

Can black water damage walls and flooring?

Yes. Black water can damage flooring, drywall, baseboards, trim, carpet, padding, insulation, cabinets, and nearby finished materials. Some porous materials may need removal depending on the contamination level.

Can you help commercial properties with black water cleanup?

Yes. The Flood Team helps homes, apartments, property managers, offices, restaurants, retail spaces, facilities, schools, and commercial properties with black water cleanup, sanitizing, drying, documentation, and repair support.

Black water cleanup? Let’s handle it safely.

Talk to The Flood Team now and get help with contaminated water removal, sewage cleanup, sanitizing, odor control, drying, moisture checks, repair support, and insurance documentation.

The Flood Team Blogs

Basement Flooding

Step-by-Step Guide to Our Basement Flood Cleanup Process

Sewage Backup

Common Misconceptions About Sewage Cleanup

Basement Flooding

What Equipment Is Used to Remove Water from a Flooded Basement?

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