Toilet and sewer line backups can result in sewage entering your basement or other areas of your home or company. This dark, thick water is extremely hazardous and contains quite a lot of dangerous contaminants. These contaminants are made up of pathogens, bacteria and viruses and cause health risks and illness dangers if people or animals become exposed. Repairing these problems ASAP is highly important, as is getting rid of the sewage from your premises. Having information of what may lead to sewer backups may help you avoid a hazardous situation 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:

Why Sewage Backup Occurs

  • Considerable Rainfall – Excess rains can overwhelm your town or city’s storm sewer system. If this happens, the waste can expand into the connected sewer lines putting your home or business in possible compromise of water backflow. Increasing rivers and streams, hurricanes and other related events can force flood and sewage waters to mix and present serious health related dangers. You should be extremely cautious when wading in this type of water, and even stay cautious after the water recedes and dries up. It’s viable for the organic matter to be aerosolized and able to be inhaled, meaning there’s a chance you could breathe 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 strong roots that grow into water or sewer lines and crush or damage them. Damage to pipes and a sewer backup can also be induced by tree roots that aren’t even on your premises. Be acutely aware of any tree roots that can sprawl into your water and sewer lines that lead to the main sewer line or septic system.
  • Old/Aging Sewer Pipes – Older and aging sewage structures are susceptible to breaking down and cracking, causing sewer backups, sewer filled basements as well as entire home flooding. The older your neighborhood or house may raise the chance of this type of catastrophe occurring.
  • Clogged and Blocked Drain Pipes – If your home or business’s main sewer line or drain pipes become fouled, sewage may back up inside the building. A good example is: if a single commode causes a sewage backup, the adjacent pipes connected to that toilet, or the main drain lines of more toilets, will also become backed up.
  • Old and/or Damaged Lines – Older sewage systems have a tendency to suffer damage and crumble, leading to sewage backups and flooded dwellings full of sewage. If your home or neighborhood is older, the chance is greater that you’ll experience impaired sewer lines than newer ones.
  • Copious Rainfall – Heavy and sudden downpours can overpower your local storm sewer lines promptly. If these public sewer mains can’t deal with excess waters, water can backup and progress into connected sewer lines. This can put your dwelling at risk of backflow difficulties. Regional flood waters from events like surging rivers and creeks, hurricanes, or any similar weather events can cause clean water to blend with sewage water and other chemicals and contaminants that cause serious health ailments. Use extreme carefulness when moving on foot in this type of waste, but also remain cautious once it dries. The dried organic material can turn aerosolized and turn respirable. Correct PPE needs to be worn at all times to prevent contact and risk inhaling contaminated air.
  • Blocked/Clogged Pipes – A fouled pipe or sewer line can force sewage to back up into your home or business. If only one commode becomes backed up, the sewer water backup can spread on to the sewer lines and affect all linked toilets on that line.
  • Roots from Trees – Tree roots can cause damage to water and sewer lines. The roots from big trees can maneuver into and around the lines and damage them excessively. If the roots under your property are not the problem, roots from closely located trees can grow under property lines and ruin your sewer line, causing a sewage problem. Be super aware of all tree roots that could affect your mainline sewer pipes and/or pipes leading to your septic tank.

PuroClean’s sewage cleanup and sanitation process in Davie, FL

Our cleaning and remediation procedures for Category 3 water (which describes sewer and contaminated water backup) according to the standards put in place by the IICRC industry are:

1. Ensure the safety of all personnel and occupants by tempering onsite access to restoration personnel only to prevent health-related concerns

2. Health and Safety checks and assessment of the jobsite.

3. Ensure proper personal protection equipment (PPE) is being utilized by all restoration personnel. This may include but is not limited to:

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

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

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

6. Bulk water, soil, and contaminates removal

7. Remove and dispose of all contaminated porous and semi-porous materials that are not able to be restored, which could include but is not limited to:

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

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

9. Full physical cleaning of all structure items that remain

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

11. All materials affected by the water to be dried and returned to pre-loss dry standards

12. Post restoration cleaning of all tools and machinery used

13. Disposal of all remaining materials removed from the project

For the Perfect Professional Davie, FL Sewage Cleanup Company, Call PuroClean Today!

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

The sheer expertise of our sewer water removal and cleaning services, in addition to the speed that we deliver the work, as well as our empathy demonstrated throughout the entire project helps make PuroClean your ideal damage remediation and restoration firm. We vow to do everything possible and within our power to fully remediate properties in all the neighborhoods that make up our service areas.

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

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