Sewage Backing Up - What to Do First

Do these things first

1. Stop using toilets, sinks, baths, showers and appliances.
2. Keep children, pets and visitors away from sewage or contaminated water.
3. Avoid direct contact and wash exposed skin thoroughly.
4. Ventilate the area if it is safe to do so.
5. Take photos from a safe distance if you may need to speak to an insurer, landlord or water company.

Work out how widespread it is

The quickest clue is whether the issue affects one fixture, one property or several properties nearby.

Check safely:

• Whether more than one toilet, bath or sink is backing up
• Whether an outside chamber or gully is overflowing
• Whether neighbours have similar symptoms
• Whether sewage appears to be coming from a public manhole

Who to contact

The right contact depends on where the blockage appears to be.

In most cases:

• Call a drainage engineer for a likely private blockage serving only your property
• Contact Yorkshire Water for suspected public sewer or shared-drain problems
• Contact your landlord or managing agent if you rent
• Contact Leeds City Council if the issue is a blocked highway gully on a publicly maintained road

What not to do

Sewage backups can worsen quickly if more water enters the system or if unsafe inspection is attempted.

Avoid:

• Repeatedly flushing toilets
• Running taps to test the drain
• Using washing machines or dishwashers
• Lifting heavy manhole covers without suitable equipment
• Entering chambers or handling sewage directly

After the immediate problem is controlled

Once the drain is clear, it is worth considering why the backup happened, especially if it was not the first time.

Next steps may include:

• Checking whether the blockage was caused by wipes, grease or silt
• Inspecting the pipe with CCTV if the issue recurs
• Keeping notes for your landlord, insurer or managing agent
• Confirming whether responsibility sits with you, Yorkshire Water or another party