Some people in Everett look for this as hazmat or hazard cleaning; it covers sewage, sharps and other biohazard waste. A sewage backup, a failed septic system, or a unit left with needles or rodent droppings is stressful, and it makes sense to want help quickly. In Everett, this work is done by independent biohazard cleanup companies that you hire directly; the first step is to keep everyone away from the affected area and then have a company assess it. Biohazard Network connects homeowners, landlords and property managers with an independent local company, and it does not do any cleanup itself.
What sewage and biohazard waste cleanup covers
A biohazard is any material that can carry germs able to make people sick. This page covers contamination that is not tied to a death or a crime: sewage that has backed up into a home or business, an overflowing septic system, used needles left in a rental or vacant unit, and rodent droppings and nests.
Ordinary cleaning is not enough because sewage soaks into porous materials, which are things like drywall, carpet, padding and insulation that absorb liquid and cannot be fully disinfected. Mopping the surface can leave contamination behind or carry it into clean rooms. The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) says on its Mold page to hire a cleaning professional if a moldy area has been contaminated by sewage.
Needles count as sharps, meaning items such as hypodermic needles, syringes and lancets that can puncture skin. Washington law, RCW 70A.228.010, lists sharps waste and human blood among the types of biomedical waste, the regulated category of waste that has its own handling and disposal rules.
What to do first, and what not to touch
Keep people and pets out of the affected area. Do not pick up needles by hand. If sewage is still coming in, stop using the sinks, toilets and drains connected to the backup.
With rodent droppings, DOH1’s Hantavirus page explains why care matters. Infected deer mice can shed the virus in urine, saliva and droppings, and people can be exposed by breathing dust stirred up while cleaning droppings or nests. DOH says not to vacuum or sweep, and notes that a dust mask does not protect against viruses. It also says there is no evidence hantavirus spreads from one person to another, which may ease worries about family members.
If the contamination is linked to a death in the home, a different process applies, and the Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office may be involved before any cleanup; the unattended death cleanup page for Everett explains that situation. A former drug lab is also a separate job: Washington requires its decontamination workers, supervisors and contractors to be certified through DOH’s Drug Lab Cleanup Program, and the Snohomish County Health Department2 lists a Drug Contaminated Properties program.
How the cleanup process works
Assessment and containment
The company you hire first looks at where the contamination is and how far it has spread. Containment means sealing off the work area so contamination does not move into clean parts of the building. Ask the company how it will contain the area and what protective equipment its crew will wear.
Removal and disinfection
Affected porous materials are cut out, bagged and removed. Disinfection means applying products that kill germs on the hard surfaces that remain. Together these steps are often called remediation, which simply means removing contamination and making the space safe to use again. If a smell lingers after the source is gone, odor remediation is a follow-up step.
Disposal of biomedical and hauled waste
Under Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission3 rules, a company that collects, transports and disposes of biomedical waste must prepare and maintain a biomedical waste operating plan. That plan must keep biomedical waste separate from other solid waste until it is treated or disposed of. Separately, a solid waste collection company may not haul solid waste for pay without first getting a certificate of public convenience and necessity from the commission. Ask the company you hire who will haul each kind of waste away, and ask for written records of what was removed and how it was disposed of, since your insurer may want them.
Restoration afterward
Once the biohazard is gone, the space may still need drying and rebuilding, which is water damage restoration work. The page on how biohazard cleanup fits with restoration explains how the two jobs connect. If walls or floors must be rebuilt, Permit Services (City of Everett Public Works) processes all required permits for construction in the city.
Checking a company before you hire it
Ask any company how its crew follows OSHA’s bloodborne pathogens standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030, and the ANSI/IICRC S540 Standard for Trauma and Crime Scene Cleanup, written by the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC), a non-profit for the cleaning and restoration industries. Then look up the business yourself in L&I’s Verify a Contractor, Tradesperson or Business tool, and read what these checks mean before you sign anything.
Insurance questions to ask
The Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) says you can ask your agent or insurance company whether a loss is covered without filing a claim. It also says most homeowner policies don’t cover gradual leaks, so a slow septic or pipe problem may be treated differently from a sudden backup. You have the right to choose your own contractor for covered repairs, and the OIC warns that signing a contractor’s assignment of benefit form could affect your rights.
For rentals, the OIC4 says a landlord’s policy does not cover a renter’s personal property. It tells renters not to throw damaged things away yet, because the insurer may want to inspect them, and to ask the insurer what to do if property is contaminated and unsafe to handle.
Usually covered: If your home is on a sewer system, sewer backup coverage can be added to a home policy as an optional endorsement, says the Insurance Commissioner’s flood insurance page5.
Usually not covered: A standard home policy does not cover sewer backup, but it can be added as an optional endorsement, says the Insurance Commissioner’s flood insurance page5. If you rent, your landlord’s or property management company’s policy covers the building but not your belongings, says the Commissioner’s renter insurance page4.
Ask your insurer: “Does my policy include a sewer backup endorsement, and does it cover this backup?” Source: Learn how home insurance works (Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner)
Sewage and waste help in Everett and Snohomish County
Everett is a first-class charter city. For a vacant property or rental with ongoing problems, City of Everett Code Enforcement enforces chapters of the Everett Municipal Code on public health and safety, including rules on rubbish, other nuisances and dangerous buildings.
The Snohomish County Health Department2 (425-339-5200) runs a Septic program, takes reports through Report a Sewage Complaint, and has Garbage & Waste, Hazardous Waste and Medicine Disposal programs. When you describe the property to a company, naming a nearby landmark such as Everett Station, a transit station and park-and-ride, or the Port of Everett Marina can help.
The Mukilteo to Clinton ferry terminal is a major link between Whidbey Island and the greater Puget Sound region. Along the Mountain Loop Highway, a 14-mile stretch is gravel and closed each winter because of snow and road conditions. More county details are on the Snohomish County page.
Who to call first
In an emergency, call 911.These official offices may be part of the first steps. They are government pages, not ours.
- Snohomish County Medical Examiner (opens in a new tab)After a sudden or unexpected death, cleanup waits until this office is done.
- Snohomish County Health Department (opens in a new tab)For local health questions, such as a home that was used as a drug lab.
- Washington Crime Victims Compensation Program (L&I) (opens in a new tab)If a crime happened, it may help with some costs, such as funeral expenses. It doesn't pay for cleanup.
- Verify a contractor (L&I lookup) (opens in a new tab)Look up whether a company is a registered contractor before work starts.
- Washington State Department of Health (opens in a new tab)State health rules, such as for drug lab cleanup and hantavirus.