When sewage backs up in a Great Lakes property, the cleanup has to be done correctly from the first step. Incomplete containment, improper material disposal, or skipped sanitization steps leave biological contamination in the structural materials — creating an ongoing health risk long after the visible mess is gone.
📞 Call +1-844-499-0972 — Great Lakes Sewage ResponseSewage cleanup in Great Lakes is not a standard water damage job. The contamination levels, regulated disposal requirements, containment procedures, and sanitization standards that apply to Category 3 events are fundamentally different — and using a company without specific Category 3 training and equipment leaves your property and your household at risk.
IICRC certification is the standard that defines whether a sewage cleanup was done correctly. Our Great Lakes team is certified. The difference is measurable.
Sewage-contaminated materials removed from Great Lakes properties — carpet, pad, drywall, insulation, and any porous material that absorbed Category 3 water — require regulated waste handling and disposal. Our Great Lakes crew bags, labels, and disposes of all contaminated material to applicable IL regulatory requirements. No dumping in standard refuse. No leaving contaminated materials in dumpsters that aren't rated for biohazard waste.
One application of sanitizer after a sewage event is not sufficient. Our protocol uses multiple applications with documented dwell times.
Our Great Lakes claim coordinators handle the insurance piece. We can coordinate clearance testing when it's required.
COS Water Damage Restoration handles the complete scope of Sewage Cleanup in Great Lakes — from containment and extraction through material removal, sanitization, structural drying, and rebuild. Category 3 protocols, start to finish.
The first action our Great Lakes sewage crew takes on any Category 3 event is establishing negative-pressure containment — critical plastic sheeting barriers that prevent sewage contamination from spreading into unaffected areas of the property through airborne particles, foot traffic, and air circulation. Containment also controls odor migration within the property while remediation is underway. Simultaneously, we identify and coordinate the correction of the blockage or failure that caused the backup — whether that's a main line obstruction, a failed cleanout, or a sump failure — so that remediation isn't interrupted by a secondary event.
Extracting Category 3 sewage water from a Great Lakes property requires specific PPE — full protective suits, respirators rated for biological hazard, and disposable boots — for every technician in the contamination zone. We use dedicated contaminated-water extraction equipment that is not shared with standard water damage jobs and is properly sanitized between uses. After extraction, all materials that contacted Category 3 water and cannot be decontaminated to a safe standard — carpet, pad, standard drywall, fiberglass insulation, and any non-cleanable surface materials — are removed as regulated waste, bagged in approved containers, and disposed of under IL biohazard material regulations.
Sanitization happens before drying equipment is staged. This sequence matters.
Category 3 sewage events leave odor-causing compounds embedded in structural materials, in the air space above the affected area, and — in HVAC systems — potentially distributed throughout the property. Our Great Lakes team uses hydroxyl generator technology and botanical-based counteractant treatments to neutralize sewage odor compounds in the air and on surfaces, not mask them. For properties where HVAC ductwork may have been exposed to Category 3 contamination, duct isolation and decontamination is included in our scope evaluation.
Our Great Lakes claim coordinators have processed Category 3 claims across IL carriers. We know what gets approved on first submission.
One company from sewage backup to finished reconstruction. No coordination gap, no separate contractor handoff.


Call +1-844-499-0972 and a live Great Lakes dispatcher answers — not a recording. Describe the situation; our dispatcher confirms the sewage backup details, dispatches the nearest Category 3-equipped crew, and confirms estimated arrival. Evacuate the affected area and prevent household members and pets from entering while we're en route.
Our Great Lakes crew arrives in full Category 3 PPE with containment materials, dedicated contaminated-water extraction equipment, and sanitization products. Containment is established before extraction begins — no exceptions. After containment, we identify the source of the backup and coordinate correction if needed before the cleanup scope is assessed.
After initial containment and source control, our Great Lakes project manager assesses the full Category 3 contamination extent, identifies all materials requiring removal, and prepares a written Xactimate-based scope covering extraction, material removal, sanitization, structural drying, and reconstruction. You review the scope and the cost before any material removal or treatment begins. If insurance is involved, the claim is filed the same day.
Extraction, material removal, multi-phase sanitization, structural drying, and reconstruction proceed under your approved scope. Daily progress updates keep you informed. Clearance testing is coordinated where required or requested. Final sign-off at a walkthrough with your project manager. Written satisfaction guarantee on every Great Lakes job.



"We have a young child and a dog and the moment the sewage smell hit I knew this was something I couldn't handle myself. COS Water Damage Restoration's Great Lakes team was there in under 60 minutes, contained the area so our family could stay in the upper floors, and handled every part of the cleanup in a way I trusted. The clearance testing they coordinated at the end gave me documented proof that the remediation was complete."
"Three years later, no odor, no mold, no recurring issues. COS Water Damage Restoration did the Great Lakes sewage cleanup right the first time. I'm telling every neighbor I know to call them first."
"Managing a rental property in Great Lakes means sewage backups occasionally happen, and the response you choose matters enormously because you have tenant health and habitability on the line. COS Water Damage Restoration handled a Category 3 event at one of our properties with complete transparency — documented scope before work started, clear removal decisions explained in writing, and a clearance certificate at the end that we could show our tenant as proof the property was properly remediated. The insurance claim was settled without any dispute."
COS Water Damage Restoration's certified Category 3 sewage cleanup team serves Great Lakes and surrounding communities throughout IL. Call +1-844-499-0972 to confirm same-day service at your address.
Don't let an uncertified company handle a Category 3 sewage event in your Great Lakes property. The health risk from incomplete remediation is real. Call +1-844-499-0972 — our certified Great Lakes team handles it correctly.
📞 Call +1-844-499-0972 — Great Lakes Sewage Response24/7 Response · IICRC S520 Certified · Category 3 Protocols · Great Lakes, IL