COLUMBUS, Ohio - An Ohio Supreme Court ruling handed down on Wednesday may have home and business owners taking a closer look at what their insurance policies will cover when it comes to damage caused by backed-up sewers.

In a 5-to-2 decision, the justices reversed an appellate court ruling in favor of an Akron nightclub that filed a breach of contract lawsuit against its insurer that refused to cover sewer backup damage.

The majority of the high court found that “Sewage” is included under an insurance exclusion that bars coverage for damage caused by water that backs up or overflows from a sewer.

The case marked the first time it had been asked to interpret a water exclusion provision found in just about every commercial and personal property insurance policy issued in Ohio.

The court rejected the argument that the exclusion applies only to pure forms of water like rainwater, noting that water that backs up from a sewer is going to contain sewage.

While the exclusion is included in nearly all policies, property owners can protect themselves from sewage damage by purchasing additional coverage from insurers.