Plumbers in Tampa Bay · Homeowner safety resource

Post-flood plumbing safety sheet

Use only with current re-entry, water, sewer, public-health, and emergency instructions for the property. Those instructions always override this sheet.

Stop at the safety gate. Leave for water near electricity, gas odor, structural danger, active floodwater, sewage, or any unsafe path. Do not enter to inspect plumbing.

Return only after the responsible authority says access is safe.
Stay out for water near electricity, gas odor, structural danger, active sewage, or an unsafe path.
Confirm public water or private well, public sewer or private septic, and any building-level system.
Check drinking-water and wastewater notices separately for the exact service address.
Stop affected fixtures and high-flow appliances while wastewater capacity is uncertain.
Treat clear-looking or unknown floodwater as potentially contaminated.
Photograph visible conditions only from a dry, safe location.
Record the authority or professional who cleared each service and any remaining restriction.

Current condition	Fixture decision	Confirm with
No safe re-entry / water near electricity	Do not enter or test fixtures	Emergency or responsible safety authority
Sewer backup, overflow, or outage	Stop flushing and adding wastewater	Serving wastewater utility or building authority
Flooded or saturated septic system	Flush as little as possible; reduce household flow	Qualified septic professional and health guidance
Boil-water notice only	Follow the notice for supply-water uses; check sewer separately	Serving water provider
Flooded private well	Do not drink or wash with well water until cleared	Health guidance, well professional, and testing
Private pipe or fixture after public service is cleared	Stop the affected fixture and obtain a written scope	Qualified plumber

Call the right boundary first

Immediate danger: 911 or responsible emergency utility

Public water or sewer: serving utility

Private septic or well: qualified system professional and health guidance

Private building plumbing after safe access: plumber

Keep with the property recovery file

Water, wastewater, and recovery record

Record each clearance separately. Safe re-entry does not automatically clear drinking water, sewer service, septic, a private well, electricity, or private plumbing.

Property addressDate and timeRe-entry authority and noticeRe-entry cleared atWater provider or private wellSupply-water notice / statusWastewater provider or private septicWastewater notice / statusBuilding / association / manager contactReference or incident numberVisible water line, source if known, affected rooms and fixtures, odors, sounds, and backup symptomsPhotos, video, and document storage locationUtility, plumber, septic, well, electrical, cleanup, or insurer calls: who, when, and instructionsTests, inspections, and written clearance: service, result, person, and dateRemaining restrictions and next action

Current local starting points

Tampa wastewater: (813) 247-3451 · Hillsborough Water Resources: (813) 307-1000

St. Petersburg Water Resources: (727) 893-7261 · Pinellas Utilities: (727) 464-4000

Clearwater utility emergency: (727) 462-6633 · Sarasota County: (941) 861-6790

Confirm the actual serving utility and current number before relying on this sheet.