A sewage backup, septic failure, or other biohazard waste in Tumwater is cleaned up by an independent biohazard remediation company that the owner, landlord, or property manager hires directly. First, keep people and pets away, stop using drains that lead to the area, and leave needles and droppings where they are. 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 it is fine to pause before deciding anything. A biohazard is any material that can carry germs able to make people sick, and remediation means removing that contamination so the space is safe again.
What this service covers
This page covers biohazards not tied to a death or a crime:
- Sewage backups from a sewer line, and failures of a septic system, which is an on-site sewage system that treats wastewater on the property.
- Needles and other sharps, meaning items that can puncture skin, such as hypodermic needles and syringes. The concern is bloodborne pathogens, which are germs carried in blood that can cause disease.
- Rodent droppings, urine, and nests in homes, sheds, and crawl spaces.
- Contaminated material in rentals, vacant properties, and businesses. Where a home holds many belongings, see hoarding cleanup in Tumwater; for blood, see blood and bodily fluid cleanup.
Household cleaning is not enough. A mop and spray can spread contamination, and sewage soaks into porous materials, meaning things like drywall, carpet pad, and insulation that absorb liquid and are hard to disinfect. The Washington State Department of Health1 (DOH) says to hire a cleaning professional when a moldy area has been contaminated by sewage.
Rodent droppings and hantavirus
DOH2’s “Hantavirus” page says infected deer mice live throughout the state and that people can be exposed by breathing dust from disturbed droppings or nests. That is why a broom or vacuum is the wrong tool, and DOH notes a dust mask does not protect against viruses. Since no one can tell a dropping’s age, ask the company to treat every one as infectious.
A former drug lab is a separate job: in Washington, clandestine drug lab decontamination workers and contractors must be certified through DOH’s Drug Lab Cleanup Program.
What to do first
- Keep everyone out, and close the door if you can.
- Stop running sinks, toilets, and washers that drain to a backed-up line.
- Do not pick up needles by hand. The Thurston County Public Health & Social Services Department3’s Unwanted Medications drop-off sites take no sharps or bloody or infectious waste.
- Do not throw out a tenant’s damaged belongings yet. The Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) says an insurer may want to inspect them, and that contaminated items unsafe to handle are a question for the insurance company.
- Take photos from a safe spot.
If a death is involved, cleanup waits until the area is released. A coroner is the official who investigates deaths; the Thurston County Coroner’s Office, led by an elected coroner, investigates sudden, violent, unexpected and suspicious deaths in the county. See unattended death cleanup in Tumwater.
Once the area is safe, it helps not to wait: DOH1 advises cleaning and drying water-damaged carpets, bedding, and upholstered furniture within 24 to 48 hours, or considering replacing them.
What to ask the company you hire
Ask for a written plan before work starts. It should cover:
- Protective equipment for the crew, such as gloves, eye protection, and respirators.
- Containment, meaning the work area is sealed off, for example with plastic sheeting, so contamination does not reach clean rooms.
- Removal and bagging of affected porous materials.
- Disinfection, meaning a germ-killing product applied after visible soil is cleaned away.
- Odor work after the source is gone; see odor remediation in Tumwater.
- Photos, a written scope, and itemized records for an insurer.
The OIC4 says you can ask your agent or insurer whether a loss is covered without filing a claim, and it notes most homeowner policies don’t cover gradual leaks. The OIC also says homeowners have the right to choose their own contractor for covered repairs, and warns that signing a contractor’s assignment of benefit form could affect your rights.
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)
Water damage restoration, meaning drying, repair, and rebuilding, can follow once the biohazard is removed; how biohazard cleanup fits with restoration explains the overlap.
Before hiring, ask how the crew follows OSHA’s bloodborne pathogens standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030, and the ANSI/IICRC S540 Standard for Trauma and Crime Scene Cleanup from the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC), a non-profit for the cleaning and restoration industries. Then look the business up yourself with the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) Verify a Contractor, Tradesperson or Business tool, and see the certifications guide for what these names mean.
The process: how the waste leaves the property
- Sorting. Biomedical waste is the legal term for specific kinds of waste, and Washington limits it to the types listed in RCW 70A.228.010, which include sharps waste and discarded human blood. Ask which items the company is treating as biomedical waste.
- Separate transport. Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission rules require a company that collects, transports, and disposes of biomedical waste to keep an operating plan that keeps it apart from other solid waste until treatment or disposal, handled only by authorized people. Ask who carries it away.
- Other debris. A company may not haul solid waste for pay without first obtaining a certificate of public convenience and necessity from the commission, so ask which hauler takes the bagged materials.
- Disposal. A solid waste handling facility needs a permit from the jurisdictional health department; ask where each load ends up.
- Confirmation. Before containment comes down, ask how the cleaning will be confirmed and request written disposal records.
Tumwater and Thurston County offices
Tumwater, incorporated as a town in 1869, is now styled the City of Tumwater. Whether a property is near Tumwater Historical Park on Deschutes Way SW or Brewery Park at Tumwater Falls, on the final leg of the Deschutes River, these offices apply:
- Permits and code. The City of Tumwater’s Community Development Department provides permitting services, plan review, inspections and code enforcement; ask there about permits if repairs follow.
- Health. The Thurston County Public Health & Social Services Department3, 360-867-2500, has a Septic Systems page with a line for failing systems, a Solid and Hazardous Waste Program, and a Syringe Services Program.
- Sewer. Its Wastewater - Water Quality Resources page is a resource page, not a spill-response program, and it lists Tumwater among the sewer providers.
In snow, ice or windstorms, the county clears arterials to state highways, hospitals and fire stations first, such as Old Highway 99 and Martin Way, so ask a company how weather could affect reaching you.
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.