A sewage overflow is the drainage emergency, and what you do in the first few minutes genuinely matters.
Immediately:
- Stop all water use. No flushing, no taps, no washing machine or dishwasher. Every litre used indoors comes out at the overflow point. Tell everyone in the house.
- Keep people and pets clear. Raw sewage carries bacteria, viruses and parasites. Keep children and animals away from affected areas, indoors and out.
- Protect what you can. If the overflow is indoors, lift rugs, move furniture and belongings to dry areas — but do not wade through sewage to do it.
- Photograph everything before cleanup if there is property damage — insurers want evidence of the event and its extent.
Then: call a drain professional to clear the blockage. If the overflow appears to be coming from the utility's main (e.g. multiple properties affected, or overflow at the boundary), report it to the utility as well — in Brisbane that is Urban Utilities' 24/7 faults line.
Cleanup notes: hard surfaces outdoors can be cleaned with disinfectant once the blockage is fixed; soaked carpets, and porous materials that contacted sewage indoors, generally need professional remediation or disposal. Wash hands and clothing thoroughly after any contact.
Once cleared, find out why it happened. Overflows rarely come out of nowhere — a camera inspection after the event shows whether it was a one-off obstruction or a failing pipe that will do it again.