Sewage Cleanup · Arlington, WA
Sewage Backup Cleanup in Arlington, WA — Contained, Cleaned and Put Right
Wastewater rising through a floor drain is one of the worst things to find at home. It is unpleasant, it spreads fast and it is not something to mop up yourself. TDC Clean & Dry cleans up sewage backups across Arlington from our Stanwood base, from the first cleanup through the rebuild.
Local conditions
What drives sewage backups in Arlington.
A sewage backup happens when wastewater has nowhere to go but back into the house. In Arlington, the usual triggers are heavy rain, rising river water and aging pipes. Each one tends to show up in a different kind of home.
Rain is the most common pressure. Arlington's NOAA station averages about 49 inches of precipitation a year, with 7.15 inches in November alone. When storms stack up, stormwater can overload drainage and force water back up through the lowest drains in a house.
The river raises the stakes. The Stillaguamish crested at 21.34 feet in Arlington in December 2023, well over its 14-foot flood stage. It topped major flood stage again in December 2025. Floodwater may carry bacteria and chemicals, so anything it soaks is treated as contaminated.
Pipe age matters in the older parts of town. About one home in nine here predates 1960, when clay and cast-iron sewer lines were standard. Roots, cracks and settling in those lines can cause a backup on a perfectly dry day.
Whatever the cause, the cleanup rules are the same. Contaminated porous materials come out, hard surfaces get cleaned and the structure is dried before anything is rebuilt. Skipping a step is how odors and health concerns linger for months.
The local data
Sewage risk in Arlington by the numbers.
Backups are not random events in Arlington. Rainfall, river levels and the age of the housing all point to when and where they happen most.
- Stillaguamish crest at Arlington, Dec. 5, 2023, against a 14 ft flood stage1
- 21.34 ft
- Average November precipitation, the wettest month of the year2
- 7.15 in
- Share of Arlington homes built before 1960, when clay sewer lines were common3
- 11%
- EPA's window to clean and dry a home after flood water gets in4
- 24–48 hrs
County emergency managers say the valley typically floods every three to five years.1 Combined with pipes that are now more than 60 years old in parts of town, backups are a recurring Arlington risk. Acting inside EPA's 24 to 48 hour window limits how far contamination spreads.4
Highest: 1990s at 2,501 homes. Lowest: 2020+ at 183 homes.
View data table
| Month | homes |
|---|---|
| Pre-1940 | 358 |
| 1940s | 221 |
| 1950s | 325 |
| 1960s | 248 |
| 1970s | 688 |
| 1980s | 845 |
| 1990s | 2,501 |
| 2000s | 2,321 |
| 2010s | 540 |
| 2020+ | 183 |
Sources
- 1. National Weather Service gauge ARLW1 and Snohomish County Emergency Management, as reported by KOMO News, FOX 13 Seattle and the Lynnwood Times (2023 and 2025)
- 2. NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals, Arlington, WA (station USC00450257) (1991–2020 normals)
- 3. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, Arlington city, WA (2024)
- 4. U.S. EPA, Flood Cleanup to Protect Indoor Air Quality (current guidance)
Wastewater in the basement or crawl space?
Keep people and pets away from it and do not run the fixtures. We can contain the area, remove what is contaminated and explain each step as we go.
Our process
How we clean up Arlington sewage backups.
Sewage cleanup has to happen in a strict order to keep contamination from spreading. This is how an Arlington job runs, start to finish.
- 01
Arrive, assess and cut off the source
Our crew drives about 22 minutes from Stanwood to central Arlington. We confirm the backup has stopped, check whether the river or a pipe caused it and mark how far the water reached.
- 02
Contain before anything is disturbed
Plastic sheeting seals the affected area, and HEPA air filtration runs during the work. That keeps contamination out of the rest of the house, which matters most in homes with open floor plans.
- 03
Remove contaminated porous materials
Carpet, pad, insulation and wet drywall that touched sewage are bagged and removed. In an older Old Town basement, that can include materials that have soaked up water before.
- 04
Clean hard surfaces and dry the structure
Concrete, framing and other hard surfaces are cleaned, then dehumidifiers and air movers dry them. Moisture meter readings confirm the area is dry before we move on.
- 05
Rebuild and restore the space
The same crew replaces flooring, drywall and trim, so there is no hand-off to another contractor. You get the room back clean, dry and finished. We walk it with you before calling the job done.
Warning signs
Signs of a sewage problem in an Arlington home.
Some backups announce themselves, while others build slowly out of sight. These are the warnings Arlington homeowners should act on.
Water rising from a floor drain or lowest toilet
The lowest fixtures in a house show a backup first. In homes with a basement, like some of Old Town's older houses, that is often a floor drain.
Gurgling drains during heavy rain
Gurgling or slow drains when a storm hits can mean the line is struggling. Arlington's wettest months, October through March, are when this shows up most.
A sewer smell in the crawl space
A cracked line under the house can leak without any water appearing inside. The smell usually reaches the living space through floors and heat registers.
Floodwater reached your lower level
Stillaguamish floodwater may carry bacteria and chemicals, so it is handled like sewage. Valley homes near Arlington Heights faced this after December 2023.
Several drains backing up at once
When more than one fixture backs up together, the problem is usually in the main line. That calls for a plumber and a cleanup crew, not a plunger. Stop using water anywhere in the house until the line is cleared.
Why us
Why Arlington calls TDC for sewage cleanup.
Sewage cleanup is about doing the unpleasant parts properly. These are the reasons Arlington homeowners trust our crew with it.
Fast response from 22 minutes away
Our crew works from Stanwood, about 22 minutes from Arlington, and the emergency line is answered around the clock. Faster arrival means less time for contamination to spread.
Flood-contamination know-how for the valley
Homes along the Stillaguamish get floodwater treated as contaminated from the start. We know what the river leaves behind and how to clear it.
Insurance documentation for Arlington claims
Photos, moisture readings and a clear record of removed materials back up your claim. We bill insurers directly when coverage applies.
Cleanup and rebuild by one Arlington crew
After the cleanup, our crew rebuilds what came out, from a Kent Prairie crawl space to an Old Town basement. One company handles it from start to finish, which keeps the schedule and the paperwork simple.
Around Arlington
Sewage cleanup across Arlington.
The cause of a backup often depends on where the house sits and how old it is. These are the patterns we see in each part of town.
Old Town
Older homes near Olympic Avenue may still have original clay or cast-iron sewer lines. Roots and cracks in those lines are a common cause of dry-day backups.
Gleneagle
Larger homes around the golf course have more bathrooms and more drains to watch. A backup in a lower-level bathroom can spread across finished flooring fast. Quick containment keeps it from reaching carpeted rooms nearby.
Kent Prairie
Homes on level ground often sit over crawl spaces where a leaking line can go unnoticed. The first sign is usually a smell rather than visible water. A crawl space check finds the leak before it spreads.
Smokey Point
Businesses near I-5 and State Route 531 cannot afford to close for long after a backup. We handle commercial cleanups as well as homes in this area. The work is planned to get the doors open again as quickly as possible.
Arlington Heights
Valley properties east of town flood when the Stillaguamish rises. Floodwater there is treated as contaminated, and crawl spaces need full cleanup, not just drying.
Arlington FAQ
Sewage Backup Cleanup questions in Arlington, WA
Straight answers to the questions Arlington homeowners ask most about sewage backup cleanup. If yours is not covered here, call and ask the crew directly.
Is it safe to clean up a sewage backup myself?
It is not recommended. Sewage and floodwater may carry bacteria and chemicals, and contaminated porous materials need proper removal rather than a surface wipe.
What should I do right after a sewage backup?
Keep people and pets away, stop using water in the house and avoid touching the wastewater. Then call a cleanup crew so containment can start quickly.
Can carpet be saved after a sewage backup?
Usually not. Carpet and pad that soaked up sewage are generally removed and replaced, because the contamination goes deeper than cleaning can reach.
Does homeowners insurance cover sewage backups?
Many policies need a specific sewer backup endorsement, and flooding needs separate flood insurance. Check your policy, and we will document the damage for your adjuster.
How long does sewage cleanup take?
It depends on how far the water spread and what materials it reached. Drying time is confirmed with moisture readings, and you get a schedule with the written scope.
Will the smell go away after cleanup?
Yes, once contaminated materials are removed and the structure is cleaned and dried. A lingering smell means something was missed, and we come back to find it.
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What local homeowners say.
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Get help now
Sewage in your Arlington home? Let our crew handle it.
Call (206) 719-4508 any time, day or night. We will contain the backup, clean it up properly and restore the space.
(206) 719-450824/7 emergency line · Monday – Sunday 8:00 am – 4:00 pm · Free inspections
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