In Olympia, a sewage backup, a failed septic system, discarded needles or a buildup of rodent droppings is cleaned up by a private biohazard or restoration company that the owner, landlord or property manager hires directly. First, keep people and pets away, stop using drains that feed the affected area, and leave the material alone. Biohazard Network can connect you with an independent local company; it does not do the cleanup itself.
Finding this in a home or rental is upsetting, and not knowing where to start is normal. This page explains the work, the offices involved and what to ask.
What this cleanup covers
A biohazard is any material that can carry germs able to make people sick. Sewage counts as one because it soaks into floors and walls, beyond the reach of household cleaning. This service also covers contaminated material not tied to a death or crime: needles, rodent droppings and nests, and soiled items in rentals, vacant properties and businesses.
Porous materials, meaning things that absorb liquid such as drywall, carpet pad and insulation, may not be cleanable once sewage reaches them. The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) says to hire a cleaning professional when a moldy area has been contaminated by sewage, so mold after a backup belongs in the same job.
If a death is involved, the Thurston County Coroner’s Office investigates sudden, violent, unexpected and suspicious deaths in the county, and its work comes first; see unattended death cleanup in Olympia.
Before cleanup: what to leave alone
Sewage and septic
The Thurston County Public Health & Social Services Department1 lists Olympia among local sewer providers on its Wastewater - Water Quality Resources page. If the property is on septic instead, the department’s Septic Systems program takes questions about a failing system; the department’s main line is 360-867-2500.
Rodent droppings
DOH2’s Hantavirus guidance says infected deer mice live throughout Washington and people are exposed by breathing dust stirred up from droppings or nests. So do not sweep or vacuum, and do not rely on a dust mask, which DOH says does not protect against viruses. Because a dropping’s age cannot be told, treat all of them as infectious.
Needles and other sharps
Sharps are items that can pierce skin, such as needles, and they can carry bloodborne pathogens, meaning germs in blood that can cause disease. Leave them in place. The department’s Unwanted Medications drop-off sites take no sharps or bloody or infectious waste.
Keep damaged items for now
The Office of the Insurance Commissioner3 (OIC) says you can ask your agent or company whether a loss is covered without filing a claim, and that most homeowner policies do not cover gradual leaks. Renters should know a landlord’s policy does not cover their belongings, and the OIC advises not throwing damaged things away yet, because the insurer may want to inspect them. You also have the right to choose your own contractor for covered repairs.
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 page4.
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 page4. 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 page5.
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)
What to expect from the company you hire
Ask for a written plan before work starts, and compare companies on these points:
- Protective equipment. Ask what gloves, suits, eye and breathing protection the crew will wear.
- Containment. This means sealing off the work area, for example with plastic sheeting, so contamination does not spread. Ask how other rooms will be protected.
- Records. Ask for photos, a written scope, a list of what was removed and disposal paperwork for your insurer.
Before you hire, ask whether the company’s workers follow OSHA’s bloodborne pathogens standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030, and the ANSI/IICRC S540 Standard for Trauma and Crime Scene Cleanup, which comes from the IICRC, a non-profit organization for the inspection, cleaning and restoration industries. You can also look the business up in the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) tool Verify a Contractor, Tradesperson or Business, and the certifications guide explains what each of these checks means.
The process, step by step
- Inspection: the company checks how far contamination spread and writes a scope of work.
- Setup: the crew puts on protective equipment and builds containment.
- Removal: sewage, soaked porous materials and contaminated items come out, bagged by type.
- Disinfection: meaning cleaned surfaces are treated with a product that kills remaining germs.
- Odor work: once the source is gone, lingering odor can be treated; see odor remediation in Olympia.
- Disposal and restoration: waste leaves under the rules below, then drying and rebuilding follow.
How waste must leave the property
Washington limits the legal term biomedical waste to the types listed in RCW 70A.228.010, including discarded human blood, materials containing free-flowing blood, and sharps waste such as needles and syringes removed from their sterile packaging. No local health department or city can substitute its own definition. Under Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) rules, a company that collects, transports and disposes of biomedical waste must keep an operating plan that holds it apart from other solid waste until treatment or disposal and lets only authorized people handle it. No company may haul solid waste for pay without a certificate of public convenience and necessity from the UTC. Ask who will haul each kind of waste from your property.
After the biohazard is gone
Once the contamination is out, the job overlaps with water damage restoration: drying the structure and replacing what was removed, as how biohazard cleanup fits with water, fire and mold restoration explains. If the material sits among the belongings of a person who hoards, see hoarding cleanup in Olympia. A former drug lab is a separate job: in Washington, clandestine drug lab decontamination workers, supervisors and contractors must be certified through DOH’s Drug Lab Cleanup Program.
Olympia and Thurston County: who handles what
Its Solid Waste (Garbage) - Compliance program covers improper accumulation of solid waste on private property in unincorporated Thurston County and the urban growth areas. Because Olympia is an incorporated city, staff handle a concern inside city limits by contacting the city for a joint approach or referring it. The department’s Mold & Ventilation page is information only, with no mold complaints, testing or inspections.
The county’s transportation system has more than 1,027 miles of roadway and 150 bridges. In snow, ice or windstorms, the county clears arterials to state highways, hospitals and fire stations first, such as Old Highway 99, Littlerock Road, Martin Way and Yelm Highway, so ask a company how weather may affect its arrival. The Olympia page and Thurston County page cover other kinds of cleanup.
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.
- Thurston County Coroner (opens in a new tab)After a sudden or unexpected death, cleanup waits until this office is done.
- Thurston County Public Health and Social Services (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.