What To Do: Sewage Backup at Your Property
Thousands of sewer backups are reported in Baltimore City every year; if one happens to you, you may be able to get assistance with cleaning and disinfecting afterwards. Exposure to raw sewage is dangerous to your health, and incomplete cleaning and disinfection can lead to mold and mildew problems in the future. If you discover sewage backing up into your home, report it as soon as possible by calling 311 or using the online portal so that DPW can send an inspector to your home to determine the cause. If wet weather is found to be the cause of the backup, you should be eligible for direct cleanup assistance through the Sewage Onsite Support cleanup program or for reimbursement of cleaning and disinfecting costs up to $5,000 via the Expedited Reimbursement Program. (For any backup, not only those caused by wet weather, you can also consider filing a General Liability Claim with the Law Department for additional cleanup costs and property damage.)

Currently, DPW's sewage backups assistance programs only apply to sewage backups caused by wet weather, which is a small fraction of the sewage backups caused by issues in the city sewer system. Clean Water Action and Blue Water Baltimore are working to expand these programs' eligibility; read more here in the Baltimore Brew. If a sewer backup has happened to you, or you are otherwise interested in being involved, please email Jennifer from Clean Water Action at jkunze@cleanwater.org.