A sewage backup means waste water comes back up through a toilet, bath, sink or floor drain. It can also rise at an outside gully or manhole, while the cause is a block or damage somewhere in the drain or the sewer. Act quickly, but stay calm.
Treat sewage as unsafe. Keep people and pets away from it, and wash your hands well after any contact. Stop using toilets, sinks and washing machines, since more water makes the problem grow.
Next, find out whose pipe is at fault. The owner of the pipe is responsible for the fix. The section below explains how Scottish Water and property owners share the work, while flooding emergency help covers water that is not sewage.
Scottish Water must provide the public sewers, and Citizens Advice Scotland says it maintains and repairs them, while you are responsible for the drains that serve your home, up to the point where they join the sewer. A pipe that serves more than one property is usually a sewer.
If the backup comes from a public sewer, report it to Scottish Water. Ask an engineer to check your own drain too, since a fault in your pipe can look the same. If you rent from Dundee City Council, report it to the council's Customer Service Team or any Housing Office.
Citizens Advice Scotland says building insurance typically covers damage from sewer flooding. Check your policy, since terms differ, tell your insurer early and keep photos. Those photos can support a claim.
Keep people and pets away from it while you wait. Open windows if you can do so safely. Wash your hands well after any contact.
Do not flush or run taps, since more water pushes more sewage out. A towel at a doorway can limit the spread. Move valuables out of the way if you can do so safely.
Use the form and mark the request urgent. Say where the sewage is and when it began. The engineer who takes the job sets the arrival time, although you can send the request 24/7.
A camera or a flow check can show whether the fault sits in your drain or in a public sewer. Report a public sewer fault to Scottish Water, while your own drain stays your responsibility. Ask the engineer to explain what they found.
The engineer who takes your job runs a separate business, so the engineer sets the price, the arrival time and any guarantee. Use these questions to compare quotes, since answers differ from one engineer to the next. Write the answers down, because a written note helps if the job changes.
The guides checked for this page do not price sewage jobs on their own. However, for call-outs, MyJobQuote lists a standard charge of £50 to £100 and an emergency charge of £100 to £200. Book A Builder adds £50 to £120 for evenings and £100 to £250 for weekends and bank holidays.
These are not Dundee quotes, although they show how out-of-hours work can add to a bill. The guides define the charge differently. Ask what the call-out covers, and ask for a written quote before work starts.
Keep people and pets away and stop using water while you wait. Open windows if it is safe, and wash your hands after any contact. Mark a request urgent through the form, and report a public sewer fault to Scottish Water.
Check the gullies and manholes near the house for water or waste. A smell with no visible cause may point to a dry trap or a damaged pipe. If it still persists, send a request and ask about a camera check.
The owner of the pipe pays for the fix. Scottish Water repairs public sewers, while you pay for your own drain. Citizens Advice Scotland says building insurance typically covers damage from sewer flooding.
No. Although you can send a request 24/7, the engineer who takes your job sets the arrival time. Ask for an estimate when they reply, and ask whether an out-of-hours charge applies.