Oakland County, MI · Basement floods, sump failures, sewer backups · 24/7
Flooded Basement Cleanup in Oakland County, MI
Water in the basement right now? Pumps out today, wet drywall and carpet out, then drying until the meters read dry. A crew answers 24 hours a day with a 45 minute response.
Call now (586) 333-3156→- Sump pump failures
- Floor drain and sewer backups
- Rain seepage through walls
- Burst pipes and water heaters
Where Is the Water Coming From?
The source decides how the water is cleaned, who pays, and who you must notify. Look before you call.
Water around the sump pit
The pump stopped, lost power, or could not keep up. The water is usually clean ground water, but it spreads fast across finished floors. Check the breaker and the float before anything else.
Water rising from a floor drain
The sewer is backing up. It is contaminated water even when it looks clear. Stop running water upstairs. In Oakland County you may need to notify the sewer owner within 45 days.
Wet lines along the walls after rain
Ground water is pushing through cracks, the wall-floor joint, or window wells. It soaks the bottom of drywall and carpet tack strip first, so the damage hides behind the wall.
A spray, a drip or a puddle under one spot
A supply line, water heater, washer hose or pipe joint failed. Shut the main water valve. This is usually sudden water damage, which most policies treat differently from flooding.
What to Do in the First Hour
Stay dry and safe
Do not step into water that touches outlets, cords, the furnace or the water heater. Shut off basement power at the panel only if you stand on a dry floor.
Stop new water
Close the main water valve for a pipe leak. For a floor drain backup, stop using sinks, toilets, showers and the washer.
Photograph everything
Shoot the water line on the walls, the drain or sump, and every damaged item before you move it. Note the time you found it.
Lift what you can
Move boxes, electronics and papers upstairs. Put furniture legs on foil or blocks.
Call for removal
Standing water that sits more than 24 to 48 hours gives mold a start, per the EPA. Call (586) 333-3156.
How a Flooded Basement Is Cleaned Up
1. Classify the water. Clean supply water, gray water from appliances, and sewer water (Category 3 under the IICRC S500 standard) each get a different cleanup. Sewer water means porous materials it touched come out.
2. Extract. Truck-mounted and portable extraction pulls water out of carpet and off concrete. Pad that took on sewer or gray water is cut out and bagged.
3. Open the walls. Drywall and insulation that wicked water are cut at a straight line above the wet mark, so the studs and bottom plate can dry.
4. Clean and treat. Every surface the water touched is cleaned. Antimicrobial goes on wood and concrete after a backup.
5. Dry and prove it. Low-grain dehumidifiers run with air movers aimed along the walls. A moisture meter checks the same spots every day until they read like dry material.
Sewer Backup Claims in Oakland County: The 45-Day Rule
Michigan's Public Act 222 of 2001 added MCL 691.1416 through 691.1419, which set the only legal path to recover damages for a sewage disposal system backup from a governmental agency.
Michigan Legislature, MCL 691.1416Under MCL 691.1416, an overflow or backup does not count as a covered sewage disposal system event if an obstruction in a private service lead, a sump system or building drain connection on the affected property, or an act of war or terrorism was 50% or more of the cause.
Michigan Legislature, MCL 691.1416Under MCL 691.1417, a homeowner recovering damages from a governmental agency's sewer system must show the agency was the correct one to sue, the sewer had a defect, the agency knew or should have known about the defect, the agency failed to take reasonable steps to fix it in a reasonable time, and the defect was a substantial proximate cause of the damage.
Michigan Legislature, MCL 691.1417Under MCL 691.1419, a claimant is not entitled to compensation for a sewage disposal system event unless they give the governmental agency written notice within 45 days after the damage was discovered or should have been discovered.
Michigan Legislature, MCL 691.1419The Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner operates the sewage system for 16 named municipalities and part of Novi, and separately coordinates the George W. Kuhn Retention and Treatment Basin, a combined sewer system shared by 14 southeast Oakland communities. Reach the Commissioner at 248-858-0958, or 248-624-6366 after hours.
Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner, Basement Flooding ClaimLarger self-run cities such as Troy, Royal Oak, Southfield, Auburn Hills, Rochester Hills, and Northville each own their own sewer mains and handle backup reports and claims directly, so the first call after a backup depends entirely on which of these two groups a property falls into.
City of Troy, Water & Sewer DivisionWhat this means at home: write down the date you found the water, find out whether your city or the county owns your sewer, and send written notice before day 45. Keep the photos and the cleanup records.
Oakland County Flood Record
NOAA logged 21 flood and flash-flood reports in Oakland County from 2010 to 2025. These are the most recent:
| Date | Place | Event | Size | What NOAA logged | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-04 | Ortonville | Flood | The Village of Holly issued a local state of emergency after flooding damaged pumps at its Waste Water Treatment Plant and impacted hundreds | record | |
| 2025-07-16 | Goodison | Flash Flood | Dutton Road flooded and washed out between Orion and Livernois Rds. | record | |
| 2025-04-25 | Lakeville | Flash Flood | Numerous reports from the public on social media showing water flowing over several roads from Lake Orion to east of Lakeville, and areas so | record | |
| 2021-10-08 | Oxford | Flash Flood | A thunderstorm dumped at least 4 inches of rain in less than 2 hours, leading to flash flooding in Orion Township. | record | |
| 2021-08-27 | Ferndale | Flash Flood | Flooding at M10 and Evergreen impacting all lanes. | record | |
| 2021-07-24 | Bloomfield Hills | Flash Flood | A quick 2.5 inches of rain in thunderstorms lead to flash flooding of the underpass at the intersection of Maple Road and South Easton Stree | record | |
| 2021-06-26 | Oakwood | Flash Flood | Roads and basements became flooding across southern Oakland county as 3 to 4 inches of rain was reported. | record | |
| 2020-08-28 | Ferndale | Flood | Flooding from the heavy morning rain slowly receded. | record | |
| 2020-08-28 | Ferndale | Flash Flood | Closed roads from flooding reported in Rochester and Southfield. | record | |
| 2020-07-10 | Ferndale | Flash Flood | Eight mile road near Ferndale and Detroit was flooded, along with many side streets. | record | |
| 2020-01-11 | Newark | Flood | A winter storm tracking through southeast Michigan brought heavy rain and freezing rain, with about a quarter of an inch ice from US-10 sout | record | |
| 2019-08-12 | Franklin | Flood | Flood waters took several hours to recede. | record |
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, read 2026-10-02.
Oakland County was named in the federal disaster declaration for the August 2014 Michigan severe storms and flooding (DR-4195), the same storm that pushed 2 billion gallons of overflow through the George W. Kuhn basin into the Red Run and caused $3 million to $5 million in damage to the basin itself.
FEMA, Michigan Severe Storms, Flooding (DR-4195); Wikipedia, George W. Kuhn Retention and Treatment BasinOakland County was named again in the federal disaster declaration for the June 2021 Michigan severe storms and flooding (DR-4607), a second federally declared flood event inside seven years.
FEMA, Michigan Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes (DR-4607)A 2025 heavy rainfall event sent about 1.2 million gallons of untreated or partially treated sewage, including wipes and other debris, through the George W. Kuhn basin into the Red Run, showing the combined-sewer overflow risk in southeast Oakland County did not end with the 2014 storm.
Wikipedia, George W. Kuhn Retention and Treatment BasinFourteen communities, including Birmingham, Royal Oak, Troy, and Southfield, share the 150-million-gallon George W. Kuhn Retention and Treatment Basin. These are the communities most exposed to combined sewer overflow when rain outpaces the basin, as it did in August 2014.
Wikipedia, George W. Kuhn Retention and Treatment BasinOlder Houses, Older Drains
Homes built before the 1970s often have clay tile drains and footing drains tied to the sanitary line, so they take on water first in a big storm. In Oakland County, Royal Oak has the oldest housing on this list, with a median build year of 1956.
| Town | Median year built | Flood reports (NOAA) |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Oak | 1956 | 0 |
| Birmingham | 1960 | 0 |
| Farmington | 1966 | 0 |
| Southfield | 1969 | 0 |
| Bloomfield Hills | 1972 | 1 |
| Troy | 1977 | 0 |
| Farmington Hills | 1978 | 0 |
| West Bloomfield Township | 1980 | 0 |
| Rochester Hills | 1984 | 0 |
| Auburn Hills | 1991 | 0 |
| Novi | 1993 | 1 |
Housing age: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (B25035), via Census Reporter.
Town Notes for Oakland County
A Novi sewer backup starts with a four-step process: Water & Sewer staff fill out an incident report, the Water & Sewer Manager investigates by televising the line, the Clerk's Office sends a claim packet within five business days, and the city's insurer investigates liability. A written claim is due within 45 days of the overflow; call 248-735-5644, or 248-348-7100 after hours.
City of Novi, Sewer Overflow or Backup InformationRoyal Oak is one of the 14 communities on the George W. Kuhn combined-sewer basin, and about 40% of the city's homes flooded during the August 2014 storm when the system overflowed. Residents report a sewer or drain concern through the city's online form or by calling 248-246-3000.
City of Royal Oak, Report a Concern; Wikipedia, George W. Kuhn Retention and Treatment BasinSouthfield runs its own water department rather than a county system; a backup is reported to 248-796-4850 (248-796-4899 after hours), and a written claim goes to the city's Office of Management and Budget at 248-796-5260 within 45 days of discovering the damage.
City of Southfield, Public Works, Sewer and DrainBloomfield Hills drains entirely into the Rouge River watershed, a 438-square-mile system covering parts of 48 municipalities in three counties with more than 40 lakes and impoundments and over half of it urbanized. Oakland County operates Bloomfield Hills' sewage system directly.
City of Bloomfield Hills, Rouge River WatershedThe City of Farmington owns sanitary and storm sewers in public rights-of-way, but a resident owns the line from their property to the city main even when that connection sits across the road. Public Works jets city-owned lines on a five-year cycle; call 248-473-7250 with a sewer problem.
City of Farmington, Water and Sewer LinesFarmington Hills is on the county-run system: a backup not caused by internal plumbing goes to the Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner at 248-858-1127 (248-858-0931 after hours), and a written PA 222 claim mails to the Commissioner's Waterford office within 45 days.
City of Farmington Hills, Sewer Backup InformationAuburn Hills runs its own DPW Water and Sewer Division, maintaining about 185 miles of water main and 120 miles of sanitary sewer main. A backup claim form goes to the Public Utilities Manager at 1500 Brown Rd.; call DPW at 248-391-3777, or police at 248-370-9444 after hours.
City of Auburn Hills, Public UtilitiesNorthville buys its water from the Great Lakes Water Authority but sends its wastewater into a Wayne County transmission line to Detroit's treatment plant, crossing county lines for disposal even though the city sits in Oakland and Wayne counties. A backup claim, with receipts and photos, goes to the City Clerk within 45 days; the city reimburses actual cash value only.
City of Northville, Water & SewerTowns we answer calls from in Oakland County: Novi, Royal Oak, Southfield, Bloomfield Hills, Farmington, Farmington Hills, Auburn Hills, Troy, Rochester Hills, West Bloomfield Township, Birmingham.
Flooded Basement Questions
What should I do first when my basement floods?
Keep out of the water if outlets, cords or the furnace are wet. Turn off power to the basement at the panel if you can reach it from dry ground. Find the source: a sump pit that is overflowing, a floor drain pushing water up, a wet wall, or a broken pipe. Take photos before you move anything. Then call for water removal.
How do you clean a flooded basement?
Remove the water first with pumps and extractors. Pull out carpet pad and any drywall or insulation that wicked water. Clean and disinfect every surface the water touched, and treat sewer water as contaminated. Then dry the room with dehumidifiers and air movers until moisture readings match dry material, usually 3 to 5 days.
Why is water coming up through my basement floor drain?
The sewer line or the city main is full, so water has nowhere to go but back into the lowest opening in the house. In heavy rain this is often storm water in the sanitary sewer. Treat it as sewage. Stop using sinks, toilets and the washer until it drains.
My sump pump failed. Is the damage covered?
A standard homeowners policy often excludes water that backs up through a drain or overflows a sump unless you bought a water backup endorsement. Check your declarations page for 'water backup' or 'sump overflow' coverage, then call your agent.
Who do I notify in Oakland County about a sewer backup?
The agency that owns the sewer: your city, or the county system in Oakland County. Michigan law (MCL 691.1419) requires written notice within 45 days of finding the damage, or you lose the right to claim.
Can I stay in the house while the basement dries?
Usually yes for clean water. For sewer water, keep children and pets upstairs and away from the area until the contaminated material is removed and the area is disinfected.
How long does a flooded basement take to dry?
Most basements dry in 3 to 5 days with commercial equipment. Concrete, block walls and finished rooms with several layers can take longer. Drying is done when the meters say so, not by touch.
Water in the Basement? Call Now.
A crew can be on the way in 45 minutes, any hour.
Call now (586) 333-3156→