Water-damage response for buildings near the Surplus Canal or Jordan River corridor when overflow reaches the ground floor or basement in Salt Lake City.
Fastest: call (833) 490-5225. Or send this and we call you back.
Canal and river overflow damage is the water loss that follows when a canal or river rises over its banks and reaches a building. The Surplus Canal was first built in 1885 to carry Jordan River overflow, so the canal corridor is part of the local flood record. Salt Lake City Water Damage Restoration answers these calls 24/7 and sends a crew as one is free.
The Surplus Canal was first built in 1885 to carry overflow away from the Jordan River. Its construction says something about how often the river had spilled, and floods on the Jordan River were recorded in 1896 and in 1909. A property near that corridor sits in ground that has been overtopped before, so an overflow call is treated as a documented flood risk and not as a one-off leak.
Overflow damage differs from a broken line in one practical way: the water does not stop when the crew arrives. A canal or river that is still high keeps pushing water toward the foundation, and the cleanup has to be paced to that. The technician checks the level outside the building before pulling water from inside, because pumping a basement while the ground outside stays saturated can refill it within hours.
Calls for canal and river overflow are answered 24/7, and the crew sent is the nearest one that is free. If water is coming toward the building from outside, call (833) 490-5225 and describe where the water is in relation to the doors, the window wells and the drains. That description helps the technician plan the first visit.
Do not enter a basement while water is still rising outside or while the power to the room is on. Do not attempt to pump a flooded basement quickly, because a fast drop can crack walls and slabs. Keep children and pets away from the water line and away from any pump hose. If the ground around the building is unstable or the water is moving fast, leave the area and call for help from a safe position.
The technician looks at how high the water stands outside the building and whether it is still rising. Pumping a basement while the ground outside is full of water can refill the room as fast as it is emptied. The crew sets its pace from what it sees outside the walls.
Water from an overflow can enter through a window well, a basement door, a floor drain, a cracked slab edge or a cleanout. The crew walks the perimeter and the interior and marks every route it finds, because a basement can keep refilling from a route that was not visible at the start.
Water is pulled down in stages and the level is logged at each stage. A fast drop can stress walls and slabs, while a slow drop with outside water still high lets the room refill. The technician agrees the pace with you and explains the reasons for it.
Moisture meters are used on the lower wall, the floor framing and the subfloor. The readings show how far the water travelled into the building and which areas need to be opened. Where the readings are high, the technician shows you the material before it is removed.
Drying equipment is placed once the room is clear of standing water, and it runs while the outside ground drains. The crew checks the readings on each visit. If the outside water rises again, the crew adjusts the plan rather than insisting on the original schedule.
The ground outside stays saturated for a time after the canal or river drops, and water keeps seeping toward the foundation while it drains. A basement can refill from the outside even after the inside has been pumped dry.
Soil that has taken in a large amount of water holds it for a long time, and the pressure on a foundation wall is greatest while the ground is wet. Water that is pushed toward a wall can find cracks, joints and drains that were dry before, which is why the same basement can flood twice in one wet season.
The crew therefore plans a second check after the first drying pass. A room that reads dry on the first day may still be wet at the lowest point, and the technician returns to that point before the job is closed.
Overflow cleanup is priced by how long the water stood, how much of the building it reached and how many rooms need drying. The price is explained and approved before work starts, and this page gives no figure.
Repeated visits matter. If the water comes back while the room is being dried, the crew has to pump again and extend the drying schedule. The technician records the number of visits and the reason for each one, so the total is tied to what happened and not to a guess.
The depth of the basement, the amount of finished space and the materials that stood in water all affect the scope. The technician shows you which materials will come out and which can be dried in place, and gives you a written plan before the removal begins.
You cannot control the canal or river, but you can keep a few openings clear and move items off the floor. Do not build a barrier or attempt to divert water while it is still rising, because that can put you in the path of the water.
Keep window wells and floor drains clear of leaves and mud when the water is rising, if you can reach them from a safe position. Move stored boxes, appliances and electronics up off the floor and out of basements that have had water before.
A sump pump that is running and can be seen from the stairs is a useful sign that the basement is taking water. If a pump stops or the water level rises above its switch, call a crew and do not enter the room to check it.
Photograph the outside water level, the water line inside, each affected room and the materials you moved. Write down the times the water rose and fell, because the pattern of overflow matters to your claim.
Photographs from the same spot over several days show whether the water is rising or falling. Keep copies of the crew's moisture log and the written scope, and note any visit where the water came back. These records help an adjuster see what happened and why the work took the time it did.
Keep any receipts for emergency measures, such as sandbags, pumps you rented and materials you bought to protect the building. Whether those costs are covered is decided by your insurer under your policy.
The crew checks the foundation for water entry points and for moisture in the wall, but it does not give a structural opinion. Cracks that are widening or walls that are moving need a qualified person to examine the building.
Look for cracks along the bottom of basement walls, bulging in a block wall or a gap between the floor and the wall. Photograph any crack and mark its length with a pencil line, so you can see later whether it grows.
The technician records what is visible and tells you where a structural review is needed. It is the owner's decision who inspects the building, and the crew can explain what it saw to whoever you choose.
When the canal or river is still high, a basement can take in water through every low opening at once. The crew leaves the pump in place and monitors the room, because the water inside is still being fed from outside. Drying starts only when the inside level is steady and the outside ground has started to drain.
Ground-floor rooms are at risk when water rises above a threshold or comes through a door that sits low. The affected floor is cleared, and the crew checks the wall bases, the trim and the spaces under cabinets for hidden water. Hard floors are often kept, while carpet and pad that were in the water are usually removed.
A garage slab can sit lower than the ground outside, which makes it a common place for overflow water to collect. The crew checks the slab edge, the bottom of the wall and the door seal. Stored items on the floor are moved only after the technician has confirmed where the water came from.
The Surplus Canal was first built in 1885 to carry Jordan River overflow, so the canal corridor has been part of the local flood record since the nineteenth century. Overflow from the corridor reaches the lowest ground first, and the crew starts its check in the lowest rooms of each building.
Jordan River floods were recorded in 1896 and in 1909. Those two years are the reason the overflow plan here is paced to the outside level, not to the inside level alone. A crew that pumps quickly while the outside water is high may refill the room, and the technician explains why the pace is set this way.
USGS keeps peak streamflow records for the Jordan River, and those records are a useful place to check how high a river has run in the past. A property owner who wants to know more about the local history can read the peak-flow record for the river, and the crew can explain how the record applies to the building in question.
A crew is dispatched as fast as one is available, and you approve the estimate before any work starts.
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
Cleanup for homes and businesses that took in water from a creek, a river or an overflowing canal in Salt Lake City, answered 24/7.
Water-damage response when a sump pump stops, a floor drain backs up or a basement drain fails and water fills a lower level in Salt Lake City.
Water removal and drying for basements in the Avenues and Capitol Hill, council District 3 of Salt Lake City, answered 24/7.
Moisture readings, water removal and drying for crawl spaces and cellars, checked before any floor above them is closed in Salt Lake City.
When creek or river water reaches a home in Utah, the first steps are to keep people out of the water, cut the power to affected rooms, photograph the water line and call for help.
The Surplus Canal was first built in 1885 to carry Jordan River overflow, and floods on the river were recorded in 1896 and 1909.
Water outside the building keeps pushing toward the foundation, so pumping a basement quickly can refill it as fast as it is emptied. A slower pace with readings at each stage keeps the room dry in the long run. The technician explains the pace on site.
It can, if the ground outside is still saturated when the water inside is pumped out. The crew plans a second check after the first drying pass for that reason. If the water returns, call again and describe what you see.
Sandbags are a decision for the owner and the local authorities during an overflow, and they do not seal a building. Do not place them in standing water or stack them where they can shift. The crew can tell you where water is entering, but it does not install barriers.
The history tells you that the corridor has overflowed before, which is a reason to treat an overflow call seriously. It does not tell you whether a given building will take in water. A crew can look at the building and the openings in it, and tell you what it finds.
Local emergency managers and utility crews make decisions about outside water and roads during an overflow. The technician follows those instructions and will not work in an area that the authorities have closed. Do not enter a closed area to reach the building.
Call again and say the water has returned. The crew will check for a new entry route, a drain that is backing up or a wall that is holding water. A repeat leak is treated as a new finding, not as a failed job.