Whose problem is the backup, mine or the utility's?
In Prince George's and Montgomery counties, WSSC Water decides on site whether a backup is the homeowner's or its own. If the blockage is in WSSC's main, its crew clears its side at no charge. If it is in your lateral, the line is yours, and a plumber is needed. WSSC serves those two counties only.
Call WSSC Water as well as a cleanup crew, so that the main can be checked while the damage is still fresh. Do not assume the answer. The decision is made on site, and the utility's finding is what matters when it comes to claims.
Plumbers in Montgomery and Prince George's counties must be registered with WSSC Water. Towns in Anne Arundel and Howard counties around Bowie, including Crofton, Odenton, Severn, Savage and Jessup, lie outside that Montgomery and Prince George's service area, so a different utility is likely to be responsible there. Check your bill to see who owns your system, and call that utility.
Does WSSC pay for the damage?
Not automatically. WSSC clears blockages on its own side for free, but damage claims and plumber-fee claims go to the WSSC Claims Office, at 301-206-7095. Whether a claim is accepted is for the utility to decide, so keep photos, receipts and the on-site finding. Ask for the decision in writing.
A claim is a separate path from an insurance policy. Your insurer decides what your policy covers; the utility decides whether it is responsible for the blockage. Neither is a certain outcome, and nothing on this site can promise either one.
Write down the time of the backup, what you saw, what you did and who you called. Photographs of the water before it is removed, and of what is thrown out afterward, are the most useful record.
Does my homeowners policy cover sewer backup?
Usually only with an endorsement. Maryland Insurance Administration guidance says water or sewer backup needs an endorsement, that Maryland law (Insurance Article 19-202) requires insurers to offer it, that it does not cover flood or surface water, and that most policies do not pay to repair the pipe itself.
The pipe repair is the plumber's job and is often outside the endorsement, which is meant to cover the resulting damage to property inside the house. Limits can be modest, and deductibles apply, so read the actual wording.
If you do not know whether you have the endorsement, ask your agent before the next storm. If you do, tell the insurer about the loss quickly and follow its instructions about documentation.
What can be cleaned and what has to go?
Hard, non-porous surfaces such as concrete, tile, metal and sealed wood can be scrubbed and disinfected. Carpet, pad, insulation, drywall, mattresses, cardboard and upholstered furniture that sewage touched generally cannot be made safe and are removed. The crew explains each decision and you approve it, with photographs.
That list is why sewage jobs are bigger than they look. A few inches of backup on a finished floor can mean cutting the lower drywall, pulling the carpet and discarding boxes of stored belongings.
If something is irreplaceable, say so when you call. Some items, such as photographs, can occasionally be restored by a specialist, but the safe default is to keep contaminated items out of living areas.
Drywall is judged by height and by what the cavity holds. Water that wicked up behind the wall can sit in insulation and framing, so the crew checks readings above the visible line before deciding where to cut.
