When a sewer line is obstructed, the sewage that is thick and dark is dangerous to your health. This sewer waste is extremely unsanitary, containing contaminants like bacteria, viruses and pathogens. All of these contaminants can pose a serious health risk and lead to many illnesses if humans or animals are exposed. If this happens to you, you need to practice sewage cleanup sanitization urgently.

If it happens that you suffer a sewage backup on the property of your home or business, or a toilet backup in either location, repairing either one is of the highest priority. Having this filthy sewer waste in your home is not safe and should be removed immediately. Furthermore, to know what is causing the sewer obstruction may aid in stopping this potentially hazardous situation. To help you in with sewage cleanup sanitization in your home or business, following is a list of things that can help:

Why Sewage Cleanup is Needed

Heavy Rainfall – Excess rains can overwhelm your town or city’s storm sewer system. If this happens, the waste can expand into the attached sewer lines putting your home or business in possible danger of water backflow. Rising rivers and streams, hurricanes and other similar events can cause flood and sewage waters to mix and present genuine health related dangers. You should be extremely cautious when walking in this sort of water, and even stay watchful after the water recedes and dries up. It’s possible for the organic matter to become aerosolized and able to be inhaled, meaning there’s a chance you could breathe it into your lungs. To protect from contact or risk of inhaling these contaminants, appropriate PPE should be worn at all times.
Roots from Trees – Trees can have strong roots that grow into water or sewer lines and crush or break them. Damage to pipes and a sewer backup can also be caused by tree roots that aren’t even on your land. 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 area or home may raise the threat of this type of catastrophe occurring.
Clogged and Blocked Drain Pipes – If your home or business’s main sewer line or drain pipes become clogged, sewage may back up inside the dwelling. A good example is: if a single commode causes a sewage blockage, the lines connected to that toilet, or the main drain lines of more toilets, will also become backed up.

Old and/or Damaged Lines – Aging sewage systems have a propensity to suffer damage and crumble, leading to sewage backups and flooded homes or businesses full of sewage. If your home or area is older, the likelihood is greater that you’ll experience damaged sewer lines than newer ones.
Copious Rainfall – Heavy and sudden downpours can overwhelm your local storm sewer lines rapidly. If these public sewer mains can’t deal with excess rainfall, water can backup and flow into connected sewer lines. This can put your home or business at risk of backflow difficulties. Area flood waters from events like surging rivers and creeks, hurricanes, or any rainy weather events can cause clean water to blend with sewage water and other chemicals and harmful toxins that cause serious health difficulties. Use extreme caution when wading in this type of waste, but also stay cautious once it dries. The dried organic matter can turn aerosolized and turn respirable. Proper PPE needs to be utilized at all times to prevent contact and risk inhaling contaminated air.
Blocked/Clogged Sewer Lines – A fouled pipe or sewer line can cause sewage to back up into your dwelling or business. If only one commode becomes backed up, the sewer water backup can spread down the sewer lines and disturb all linked toilets on that line.
Tree Roots – Tree roots can be harmful to water and sewer lines. The roots from huge trees can grow into and around the lines and damage them tremendously. If the roots on your property are not the cause, roots from closely located trees can cross property lines and harm your sewer line, causing a sewage issue. Be extra aware of all tree roots close to your mainline sewer pipes and/or pipes that run to your septic tank.

Our Linwood, NC sewage cleanup sanitization 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. Ensure all workers and occupants stay safe by restricting access to the site to remediation employees only in order to prevent any health-related issues.

2. Assessment of the jobsite and Health and Safety surveys.

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

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

4. Create engineering controls, firm barriers if needed to prevent cross-contamination.

5. Eliminating any and all lingering safety risks if possible.

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

7. Eradication and disposal of all contaminated porous and semi-porous material that is not restorable – which can 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. Implement cleaning procedures and use of EPA certified biocides and antimicrobials

9. Actual cleaning of all remaining structures

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 excess waters are to be dried and returned to pre-loss dry condition

12. Post restoration cleaning of all tools and machinery used

13. All materials from demolition process removed completely

Call PuroClean for your Professional Linwood, NC Sewage Cleanup Needs!

At PuroClean, our IICRC certified technicians use state-of-the-art equipment and cleaning procedures to effectively restore and clean the unsound building materials and items from your home or business. If a sewage drain pipe backup from blockage is your problem, call our professionals for sewage cleanup services.

Our sewage cleanup and cleaning services along with the timeliness in which we complete the work, and the absolute care we demonstrate throughout the process make us your complete damage restoration and remediation company. PuroClean pledges to do whatever it takes to rescue, clean and restore all properties that lie within our service regions.