Toilet and sewer line backups may result in sewage entering your basement or other areas of your home or company. This dark, thick water is very hazardous and contains many dangerous contaminants. These contaminants consist of pathogens, bacteria and viruses and present health risks and sickness dangers if humans or animals experience exposure. Fixing these problems ASAP is imperative, as is getting rid of the sewage from your home or business. Having knowledge of what may cause sewer blockages may help you prevent a hazardous incident in your home or basement. Following is a list of things that may aid in stopping sewage backups that may occur in your home or business:

Sewage Backup Causes

  • Drain Pipe Clogs – Sewage can back up into your home or business when either your drain lines or the main sewer line gets clogged. For example, if one commode creates a sewage blockage, the drain connected 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 crush the sewer line by growing around it. Even if the roots on your property are not the problem, roots from nearby trees can reach your sewer pipe and damage it, causing a sewer backup. Always be aware of roots where your sewer lines to the street or septic system is placed.
  • Aging Sewer Lines – Older sewage systems may break down and crack, causing sewage blockages and flooded homes and basements. The older your neighborhood is, the greater chance of these types of issues.
  • Extreme Weather – Sudden large amounts of rain can overburden your town’s storm sewer mains. If the public systems can’t handle excess rainfall, the water can make its way into attached sewer lines, which can leave your home or business at risk of water backflows. Area-wide flooding waters from events such as rising rivers and creeks, hurricanes, and other isolated events can also mix with sewage water and other chemicals and contaminants that can cause health-related issues. Extreme caution is needed when trying to walk in these waters, and even when the water recedes and begins to dry out. Dried out organic matter can then become aerosolized and present the possibility of breathing it into your lungs. Proper PPE should be worn to prevent contact and risk of breathing in these contaminants.

Our Pensacola, FL process for sewage cleanup and sanitation

Our process for cleaning and restoration of Category 3 water, aka sewer and contaminated water backup clean up according to the IICRC industry standards, is as follows:

1. Ensuring safety for all personnel and occupants by placing restrictions on site access to remediation personnel only in order to prevent health related occurrences.

2. Health & safety survey and complete building assessment.

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

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

4. Establish engineering controls, critical barriers if suitable to prevent cross-contamination.

5. Preventing all potential dangers and safety risks if possible.

6. Disposal, removal of bulk sewage water, soil, and contaminates.

7. Disposing of any and all porous and semi-porous contaminated materials that are unable to be restored, which includes but is 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. 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 items and structure affected by the flooding to be dried and returned to pre-loss dry conditions

12. After completion of remediation – Cleansing of all equipment used

13. Transfer and disposal of all demo materials removed from the site

Call PuroClean for your Professional Pensacola, FL Sewage Cleanup Needs!

Our technicians put to use state-of-the-art equipment and cleaning procedures to effectively restore and clean the affected building materials and items from your dwelling or business. If a sewage drain line backup from blockage is your problem, call our technicians for sewage removal and cleaning services.

The high measure of our sewage abatement and cleaning services along with the speed in which we complete the work, and the absolute care we demonstrate throughout the process make PuroClean your complete water damage restoration and remediation company. PuroClean pledges to do whatever it takes to save, clean and restore all properties that are within our service areas.

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

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