Sewage Cleanup and Sanitation in Reston, VA

Toilet and sewer pipe backups can result in sewage entering your basement or other areas of your home or company. This dark, thick water is highly hazardous and contains quite a lot of dangerous contaminants. These contaminants are made up of pathogens, bacteria and viruses and present health risks and illness dangers if humans or animals become exposed. Fixing these problems ASAP is highly important, as is removing sewage from your property. Having knowledge of what may lead to sewer backups may help you avoid a hazardous situation in your home or basement. Following is a list of things that may aid in stopping sewage backups that can occur in your home or business:

Sewage Backup Causes

• Considerable Rainfall – Excess rains can overpower your town or city’s storm sewer system. If this happens, the water can expand into the connected sewer lines bringing your home or business in possible risk of water backflow. Surging 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 respirable, meaning there’s a chance you could breathe it into your lungs. To prevent contact or risk of inhaling these contaminants, legitimate PPE should be worn at all times.
• Roots from Trees – 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 reach 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 breaking down and cracking, causing sewer backups, sewer filled basements as well as entire home flooding. The older your area 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 clogged, sewage may back up inside the dwelling. A fine example is: if a single toilet causes a sewage backup, the drains 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 propensity to suffer damage and crack, leading to sewer water influx and flooded homes or businesses full of sewage. If your home or area is older, the probability is greater that you’ll experience failing sewer lines than newer ones.
• Heavy Rain – Heavy and sudden downpours can overpower your local storm sewer lines rapidly. If these public sewers 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. Regional flood waters from events like surging rivers and creeks, hurricanes, or any similar weather events can cause clean water to mix with sewage water and other chemicals and harmful toxins that cause serious health difficulties. Use extreme carefulness when moving on foot in this type of water, but also remain cautious when it dries. The dried organic material can turn aerosolized and turn respirable. The right PPE needs to be used at all times to stop contact and risk inhaling contaminated air.
• Blocked/Clogged Sewer Lines – A fouled pipe or sewer line can force 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 affect all connected toilets on that line.
• Tree Roots – Tree roots can be harmful to water and sewer pipes. The roots from huge trees can maneuver into and around the pipes and damage them tremendously. If the roots around your property are not the cause, roots from nearby trees can cross property lines and harm your sewer pipes, causing a sewage problem. Be super aware of all tree roots that could affect your mainline sewer pipes and/or pipes that run to your septic tank.

PuroClean’s sewage cleanup and sanitation process in Reston, VA

PuroClean’s process for cleaning and remediation of Category 3 water, aka sewer and contaminated water backup clean up following the IICRC industry standards, is as follows:

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

2. Health & safety survey and complete building assessment.

3. Ensure all cleanup and restoration personnel are outfitted 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. Put engineering controls in place, as well as critical barriers if needed to stop any cross-contamination from occurring.

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

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

7. Eradication and disposal of all contaminated porous and semi-porous items that is not restorable – which can consist of but is not limited to:

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

8. Implement cleaning methods and use of EPA certified biocides and antimicrobials

9. Physical cleaning of all remaining structure items

10. It is recommended to schedule a third party Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) for a safety clearance test to ensure the entire site is returned to pre-loss state for health and safety.

11. All materials touched by water to be dried and returned to pre-loss state

12. Post remediation cleaning of all equipment used

13. All demo materials removed from the building

For the Perfect Professional Reston, VA Sewage Cleanup Company, Call PuroClean Today!

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

We have proved time after time that our services and our specialists are top quality, efficient, and work with care and grace for all involved. PuroClean is your ideal damage restoration and cleaning specialists and we pledge to do whatever needs to happen to rescue and restore all properties in the communities we serve.

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