When a sewer line is obstructed, the sewage that is thick and dark is dangerous to your health. This sewer water is extremely unsanitary, containing contaminants such as bacteria, viruses and pathogens. All of these dangerous germs can pose a serious health risk and lead to many illnesses if humans or animals are exposed. If it happens that you experience sewage backup on the property of your home or business, or a toilet backup in either location, fixing either one is of the highest importance. Having this unsanitary sewer water in your home is not safe and should be removed quickly. Furthermore, knowing what is causing the sewer obstruction may aid in stopping this potentially hazardous situation. To help you in handling sewage backups in your home or business, following is a list of things that may help:

Why Sewage Backup Occurs

  • Considerable Rainfall – Excess rains can overwhelm your town or city’s storm sewer system. If this happens, the water can swell into the connected sewer lines bringing your home or business in possible danger of water backflow. Swelling rivers and streams, hurricanes and other related events can cause flood and sewage waters to mix and present genuine health related dangers. You should be highly cautious when wading in this sort of water, and even stay cautious after the water recedes and dries up. It’s probable for the organic matter to be aerosolized and able to be inhaled, meaning there’s a chance you could inhale it into your lungs. To prevent contact or risk of breathing in these contaminants, appropriate PPE should be used at all times.
  • Tree Roots – Trees can have long roots that grow into water or sewer pipes and crush or impair them. Damage to pipes and a sewer backup can also be caused by tree roots that aren’t even on your land. Be keenly aware of any tree roots that can sprawl into your water and sewer pipes that lead to the central sewer line or septic system.
  • Old/Aging Sewer Lines – Older and aging sewage structures are susceptible to crumbling and cracking, inducing sewer backups, flooded basements as well as entire home flooding. The older your region or home may raise the chance of this type of catastrophe occurring.
  • Clogged and Blocked Drain Pipes – If your house or business’s main sewer pipes or drain pipes become clogged, sewage may back up inside the dwelling. A fine example is: if a single toilet causes a sewage backup, the lines connected to that toilet, or the main drain pipes of more toilets, will also suffer backflow flooding.
  • Old and/or Damaged Lines – Aging sewage systems have a tendency to fail and crack, leading to sewer water influx and flooded homes or businesses full of sewage. If your home or region is older, the probability is greater that you’ll experience damaged sewer lines than newer ones.
  • Copious Rainfall – Heavy and rapid downpours can overpower your local storm sewer lines promptly. If these public sewer pipes can’t deal with excess waters, water can backup and flow into connected sewer lines. This can put your dwelling at risk of backflow problems. Local flood waters from events like rising rivers and creeks, hurricanes, or any similar weather events can cause clean water to merge with sewage water and other chemicals and harmful toxins that cause serious health consequences. Use extreme carefulness when moving on foot in this type of water, but also remain cautious once it dries. The dried organic matter can turn aerosolized and turn respirable. The right PPE needs to be utilized at all times to prevent contact and risk inhaling contaminated air.
  • Blocked/Clogged Pipes – A fouled pipe or sewer line can cause sewage to back up into your home or business. If only one toilet becomes fouled, the sewer water backup can spread into the sewer pipes and disturb all linked toilets on that line.
  • Roots from Trees – Tree roots can cause damage to water and sewer pipes. The roots from large trees can maneuver into and around the pipes and damage them excessively. If the roots on your property are not the problem, roots from nearby trees can cross property lines and damage your sewer pipes, causing a sewage complication. Be extra aware of all tree roots near your mainline sewer pipes and/or pipes connected to your septic tank.

Our Corpus Christi, TX process for sewage cleanup and sanitation

The PuroClean process for cleaning and restoring Category 3 water, which is sewer and polluted water backup cleaning and restoration as set forth by IICRC industry standards, consisting of:

1. To protect the safety of all occupants and personnel by limiting jobsite access to restoration and cleanup personnel only to help stop any health related occurrences.

2. Health and Safety survey and assessment of the workplace.

3. Ensure all restoration employees are supplied with and use the correct personal protection equipment (PPE). This includes, but isn’t limited to the following:

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

4. Institute engineering controls, firm barriers if suitable to prevent cross-contamination.

5. Completely getting rid of any potential safety risks if possible.

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

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

  • Hardwood flooring
  • Padded and upholstered items
  • Gypsum board
  • Carpet, rugs, pad, or underlayment
  • Vinyl flooring and underlayment

8. Cleaning procedures put in place and the use of EPA registered biocides and antimicrobials

9. Manual cleaning of all remaining structure material

10. It is suggested to hire a third party Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) for a safety clearance inspection to ensure the entire site is returned to pre-loss condition for health and safety.

11. All materials affected by excess waters are to be dried and returned to pre-loss dry condition

12. All equipment used on the project to be cleaned after restoration completion

13. Disposal of all demolished materials removed from the site

For Professional Sewage Cleanup in Corpus Christi, TX, Call PuroClean!

When a sewage drain line backup takes place in your home or business, contact the PuroClean specialists for sewage removal and cleaning services. Our technicians use state-of-the-art tools, methods and cleaning systems to fully remediate the damaged building materials and contents.

PuroClean has proved time after time that our work and our specialists are top quality, efficient, and work with care and kindness for all involved. PuroClean is your ideal damage restoration and cleaning group and we pledge to do whatever needs to be done to rescue and restore all homes and businesses in the communities we serve.

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

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