A sewage backup, a failed septic system, or used needles found in a Lynnwood home, rental or business are cleaned up by an independent biohazard or restoration company that you hire directly. The first step is to keep people and pets away from the area and, for an outdoor sewage or septic problem, contact the Snohomish County Health Department1. Biohazard Network connects you with an independent local company; it does not do the cleanup itself.
Finding sewage on a floor, needles in a vacant unit, or rodent droppings in a storage room is upsetting, and it is normal not to know where to start. This page explains what the work involves, what to leave alone, and what to ask the company you hire.
What this cleanup covers
A biohazard is any biological material, such as sewage, blood or animal waste, that can carry germs and make people sick. This service covers contamination that is not tied to a death or a crime: sewage backups, septic failures, needles and other sharps (sharp objects such as needles, syringes and blades), rodent droppings, and waste left behind in rentals, vacant properties and businesses.
Ordinary cleaning is not enough because mopping can spread germs, and porous materials hold contamination deep inside. Porous materials are things like drywall, carpet, pad and insulation that soak up liquid. The Washington State Department of Health2 (DOH) says to hire a cleaning professional if a moldy area has been contaminated by sewage or is in hidden places.
Rodent droppings and hantavirus
DOH3 says infected deer mice can shed hantavirus in urine, saliva and droppings, and that people are at risk in any part of Washington. People can be exposed by breathing dust stirred up while cleaning droppings or nests. Because the age of a dropping can’t be told, DOH says to treat all of them as infectious. DOH also says there is no evidence the virus spreads from one person to another.
What to do first, and what not to touch
- Keep children, pets and visitors out of the affected rooms.
- Do not sweep or vacuum rodent droppings. DOH3 notes that a dust mask does not protect against viruses.
- Do not pick up needles by hand. Mark the spot and leave them for the company.
- Do not paint or caulk over mold, which DOH2 advises against.
- Take photos before anything is moved, for your insurer.
- If you rent, do not throw damaged belongings away yet. The Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) says the insurer may want to inspect them.
The Snohomish County Health Department1 (425-339-5200) does not investigate indoor sewage spills, but it offers Guidelines for Cleaning Indoor Sewage Spills. For an outdoor problem, it has a Report a Sewage Complaint option, and its Septic program covers on-site sewage systems. If someone has died in the home, the unattended death cleanup page explains the different first steps.
What to expect from the company you hire
The crew should wear protective equipment such as gloves, eye protection and breathing protection. They set up containment, which means sealing off the work area so contamination does not spread to clean rooms. They remove affected porous materials, then carry out disinfection, which means using products that kill germs on the surfaces that remain. Odor work comes after the source is gone; see odor remediation. Ask the company for written records of what was removed and cleaned, with photos, for your insurance file.
Sewage work overlaps with water damage restoration. Once the biohazard is removed, drying and rebuilding follow, sometimes by a different company; how biohazard cleanup fits with restoration explains the handoff.
Before you hire anyone, ask whether the company follows OSHA’s “Bloodborne pathogens” standard, 29 CFR 1910.10304, and the ANSI/IICRC S540 Standard for Trauma and Crime Scene Cleanup, and look the business up yourself with L&I’s Verify a Contractor, Tradesperson or Business tool. The certifications guide walks you through what those checks mean.
How the process works, including waste disposal
Remediation means finding and removing the source of contamination, not just cleaning what you can see. A typical job moves through these stages:
- Assessment. The company inspects the area and explains what must be removed.
- Containment and removal. Affected materials are bagged inside the sealed area.
- Disinfection. Remaining surfaces are treated and checked.
- Waste handling. Contaminated materials are packaged and hauled away.
- Handoff. Drying and repairs begin once the area is clean.
Waste rules matter here. Under RCW 70A.228.010, Washington’s definition of biomedical waste, meaning medical-type waste that can spread infection, includes discarded human blood and sharps waste such as needles and syringes. A company that collects and hauls biomedical waste must keep an operating plan that keeps it separate from other solid waste until treatment or disposal, and only authorized, trained people may handle it. Separately, a company may not haul solid waste for pay without a certificate of public convenience and necessity from the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission. Ask the company who will haul each kind of waste and where it will go.
A former drug lab is a separate job: in Washington, drug lab decontamination workers, supervisors and contractors must be certified through DOH’s Drug Lab Cleanup Program, and the county health department has a Drug Contaminated Properties program.
Insurance questions to raise
The OIC says you can ask your agent whether a loss is covered without filing a claim. It also says most homeowner policies don’t cover gradual leaks, and many cover mold only on a limited basis when it results from a covered loss. You have the right to choose your own contractor, and the OIC warns that signing a contractor’s assignment of benefit form could affect your rights. Landlords should know a landlord’s policy does not cover a renter’s personal property.
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 page.
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)
Lynnwood and Snohomish County details
Lynnwood is an incorporated city, so its Development and Business Services Department handles permitting of land use and building projects and code enforcement. Contact it if repairs after cleanup need a permit. For a rental or vacant property with unsanitary conditions, the Snohomish County Health Department1 has a Nuisance Properties program, and its Garbage & Waste and Hazardous Waste programs cover other waste questions. For questions about sharps at home, its Medicine Disposal program is a place to start.
Whether the property is near Scriber Lake Park in the center of Lynnwood or near Lynndale Park, the city’s largest park, in west Lynnwood, tell the company the exact address and which rooms are affected. If a company also serves Whidbey Island, ask how it schedules around the ferry between Mukilteo and Clinton, a major link between the island and the greater Puget Sound region.
If belongings have built up in the home, the hoarding cleanup page explains a different, gentler process.
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.