Blocked sewer lines can release sewage; a thick, dark liquid that forms. Sewage water is a dangerous health hazard and unsanitary; containing contaminants like pathogens, viruses and bacteria. These dangerous contaminants may present risks of serious illness if animals or humans are exposed to them. Timely repair is key if you have sewage backup anywhere in your home or business . Quickly repairing this will prevent the hazardous waste water from lingering in occupied areas. To stop a hazardous condition happening in your home or business, knowing what causes the sewer incidents could be extremely helpful. We’ve created a list of things to aid in preventing and handling home or business sewage blockages:

Sewage Backup Causes

  • Heavy Rainfall – Excess flooding can overpower your town or city’s storm sewer system. If this happens, the waste can swell into the attached sewer lines placing your home or business in possible danger of water backflow. Increasing rivers and streams, hurricanes and other relevant events can force flood and sewage waters to mix and present genuine health related problems. You should be highly cautious when walking in this sort of water, and even stay watchful after the water recedes and dries up. It’s viable for the organic matter to turn aerosolized and able to be inhaled, meaning there’s a chance you could inhale it into your lungs. To protect from contact or risk of breathing in these contaminants, legitimate PPE should be used at all times.
  • Tree Roots – Trees can have long roots that grow into water or sewer lines and crush or damage them. Damage to pipes and a sewage backup can also be induced by tree roots that aren’t even on your property. Be keenly aware of any tree roots that can sprawl into your water and sewer lines that lead to the central sewer line or septic system.
  • Old/Aging Sewer Lines – Older and aging sewage systems are susceptible to crumbling and cracking, causing sewer backups, sewer filled 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 home or business’s main sewer pipes or drain pipes become blocked, sewage may back up inside the building. A good example is: if a single toilet causes a sewage blockage, the drains connected to that toilet, or the main drain lines of more toilets, will also suffer backflow flooding.
  • Old and/or Damaged Lines – Older sewage systems have a propensity to suffer damage and crack, leading to sewage backups and flooded homes or businesses full of sewage. If your home or region is older, the likelihood is greater that you’ll experience failing sewer lines than newer ones.
  • Heavy Rain – Heavy and sudden downpours can overwhelm your local storm sewer lines promptly. If these public sewer lines can’t deal with excess rainfall, water can backup and progress into connected sewer lines. This can put your home or business at risk of backflow difficulties. Regional flood waters from events like rising rivers and creeks, hurricanes, or any other weather events can cause clean water to mix with sewage water and other chemicals and contaminants that cause serious health ailments. Use extreme caution when wading in this type of waste, but also stay cautious when it dries. The dried organic matter can turn airborne and turn respirable. Proper PPE needs to be used at all times to stop 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 toilet becomes blocked, the sewage backup can spread into the sewer lines and disturb all attached toilets on that line.
  • Roots from Trees – Tree roots can cause damage to water and sewer lines. The roots from huge trees can make their way into and around the lines and damage them excessively. If the roots on your property are not the cause, roots from closely located trees can extend under property lines and harm your sewer pipes, causing a sewage issue. Be extra aware of all tree roots that could affect your mainline sewer pipes and/or pipes connected to your septic tank.

Our Lansdale, PA sewage cleanup and sanitation process

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. To ensure the safety of all occupants and personnel by restricting jobsite access to restoration and cleaning personnel only to help prevent any health related situations.

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

3. Ensure all remediation personnel are supplied with the proper 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. Institute engineering controls, critical barriers if suitable to prevent cross-contamination.

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

6. Clearing the site of all bulk water, soil, and contaminates.

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
  • Padded and upholstered items
  • Gypsum board
  • Vinyl flooring and underlayment
  • Hardwood flooring

8. Implement cleaning methods and utilization of EPA registered 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 property is returned to a safe 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 – Cleaning of all equipment used

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

Call PuroClean for Professional Sewage Cleanup in Lansdale, PA!

PuroClean technicians use state-of-the-art equipment and cleaning methods to effectively restore and clean the affected building materials and belongings from your home or business. If a sewage drain line backup from blockage occurs, call our professionals for sewage removal and cleaning services.

The quality of our sewage removal and cleaning services, the expeditious way in which we deliver them, and the kindness we demonstrate throughout the entire process make PuroClean your perfect damage restoration and remediation company. We pledge to do whatever it takes to restore and rescue properties in all the communities we serve.

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

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