At a glance

First move
Close the oval valve on the wall behind the toilet (turn clockwise)
If the valve is stuck
Lift the tank lid and raise the float to stop the fill, then close the main
Water from the tank
Usually clean when it leaves the tank
Water from the bowl
Treated as contaminated, even without visible waste
Water that reached the ceiling below
Has passed through subfloor and insulation; assume it is not clean
Who to tell
Insurer, landlord or HOA if relevant, and a mitigation company

Why the source matters so much

Restoration work in the United States commonly sorts water into three categories. Clean water from a supply line is Category 1. Water with some contamination, such as water from an overflowing toilet bowl or dishwasher discharge, is usually treated as Category 2. Water containing sewage is Category 3. Water can also move up a category as it sits or travels through dirty materials.

A toilet overflow is often a Category 2 or 3 event from the start. When it runs off a tiled floor, under a baseboard and onto the subfloor, it picks up dust and debris and soaks into materials that cannot simply be wiped. When it then drips through a kitchen or living room ceiling below, that wet drywall and insulation are generally removed rather than dried in place.

None of this means panic. It means you should not mop toilet water with the same towels you use for the kitchen, should not let children help clean, and should mention the source clearly when you contact your insurer and anyone who will do the cleanup.

Do this before help arrives

Wear rubber gloves and shoes you can wash. Keep the bathroom door closed when you are not in it.

  • Close the toilet supply valve, or the main water valve if the toilet valve will not turn
  • Do not flush again to see if it clears; a second flush adds more water
  • Switch off breakers for any light or fan in the ceiling below that is wet
  • Photograph the bowl, the floor, the baseboards and the ceiling below
  • Bag and set aside bath mats and towels that touched bowl water; do not wash them with other laundry
  • Note the time the overflow started, if you know, and the time you stopped it
  • If several drains are backing up at once, stop using water everywhere in the house and call a plumber; that points to a sewer line problem

What to expect from the cleanup

  • IfClean tank water only, caught within minutes, stayed on tileThenOften a towel-and-fan job, but check the baseboards and the ceiling below with a moisture meter before calling it done.
  • IfBowl water reached the subfloor or the room belowThenExpect porous materials that got wet, such as ceiling drywall, insulation and carpet pad, to be removed and the area cleaned before drying.
  • IfSewage backed up through the toiletThenTreat it as Category 3. Keep everyone away, and use a company that will describe how it handles contaminated materials.
  • IfIt happened in a rental or condoThenReport it to the landlord or association in writing the same day. The responsibility for the cause can differ from the responsibility for the repair.

General information for Englewood, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.