Toilet and sewer pipe backups may result in sewage entering your basement or other portions of your home or business. This dark, thick water is very hazardous and contains many dangerous contaminants. These contaminants consist of pathogens, bacteria and viruses and cause health risks and illness dangers if people or animals experience exposure. Fixing these problems ASAP is highly important, as is removing sewage from your home or business. Having knowledge of what may lead to sewer blockages may help you avoid a hazardous incident in your home or basement. Please see this list of things that may aid in stopping sewage backups that can occur in your home or business:

Sewage Backup Causes

  • Drain Pipe Blockages – Sewage can infiltrate your home or business when either your drain pipes or the main sewer line becomes clogged. For example, if one commode creates a sewage blockage, the drain tied to that toilet, or the mainline of many toilets, will likely also be obstructed.
  • Tree Roots – Trees with long roots can move into pipes and cause holes or alter the sewer line by growing around it. Even if the roots on your property are not the issue, roots from nearby trees can reach your sewer pipe and damage it, forcing a sewer backup. Always be cognizant of roots where your mainline to the street or septic system is placed.
  • Defective Sewer Lines – Aging sewage systems can break down and crack, causing sewage blockages and flooded homes and basements. The older your neighborhood is, the greater possibility of these types of incidents.
  • Extreme Weather – Sudden large amounts of rain can put a strain on your city’s storm sewer mains. If the public storm sewers can’t handle excess rainfall, the water can make its way into connected sewer lines, which will put your home or business at risk of sewer backflows. City-wide flooding waters from events such as rising rivers and creeks, hurricanes, and other micro events can also combine with sewage water and other chemicals and harmful bacteria that can lead to health-related issues. Extreme caution is needed when wading in these waters, and even when the water recedes and begins to dry out. Dried out organic materials can then become aerosolized and present the possibility of breathing it into your lungs. Proper personal protective equipment (PPE) should be worn to prevent contact and risk of breathing in these contaminants.

Our Auburn, Worcester County, and Blackstone Valley Corridor sewage cleanup and sanitation process

Our procedures for Category 3 water (also known as sewer and contaminated water backup) cleaning, adhering to the IICRC industry guidelines, consists of:

1. To ensure the safety of all occupants and personnel by restricting jobsite traffic to restoration and cleaning personnel only to help stop any health related problems.

2. Health & safety survey and complete building assessment.

3. Be thorough that all restoration specialists are equipped with the precise personal protection equipment (PPE). This includes but is not limited to:

  • Nitrile and cut resistant gloves
  • Rubber boots with steel toes and shank
  • Full face respirator
  • Full body suit protection

4. Engineering controls put in place and condemnatory barricades used (if needed) stopping cross-contamination.

5. Removing any type of potential safety risks if at all possible.

6. Removal of bulk water, soil, and contaminates.

7. Disposal of all contaminated porous and semi-porous materials that are not salvageable, which can be but are not limited to:

  • Carpet, rugs, pad, or underlayment
  • Padded and upholstered objects
  • Drywall materials
  • Vinyl flooring and underlayment
  • Hardwood flooring

8. Implement cleaning procedures and use of EPA approved biocides and antimicrobials

9. Actual cleansing of all remaining structures

10. We recommend using a third-party Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) to perform clearance testing to ensure the building is returned to a sanitary pre-loss condition for health and safety.

11. Drying of all materials affected by the sewer water intrusion back to pre-loss dry condition

12. Post restoration cleaning of all tools and machinery used

13. Elimination and disposal of all demo materials removed from the premises

Call PuroClean for Professional Sewage Cleanup in Auburn, Worcester County, and Blackstone Valley Corridor!

What happens if a sewer main backup occurs in your dwelling or business? The correct answer is: Call PuroClean! Simply because PuroClean technicians are your absolute professionals for sewage abatement and cleaning services. With state-of-the-art equipment and cleaning systems, we efficiently restore, fix and completely clean the affected areas in your home or business.

The sheer expertise of our sewer water removal and cleaning services, in addition to the speed in which we deliver the work, as well as our kindness demonstrated throughout the entire project helps make PuroClean your perfect damage remediation and restoration company. We pledge to do everything possible and within our power to restore and rescue properties in all the towns and cities that make up our service areas.

*Not all PuroClean offices provide sewage cleanup and sanitation cleaning services.

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