When a sewer line is obstructed, the sewage that is thick and dark can be dangerous to your health. This sewer waste is extremely unsanitary, containing contaminants like bacteria, viruses and pathogens. All of these dangerous germs can pose a serious health risk and cause many illnesses if humans or animals suffer exposure. If it happens that you suffer a sewage backup on the premises of your home or business, or a toilet backup in either location, fixing either one is of the highest importance. Having this unsanitary sewer waste in your home is not safe and should be removed as soon as possible. Furthermore, to know what is causing the sewer backups may aid in preventing this potentially hazardous situation. To help you in handling sewage backups in your home or business, following is a list of things that may help:

Sewage Backup Causes

  • Heavy Rainfall – Excess rains can overpower your town or city’s storm sewer system. If this happens, the waste can expand into the attached sewer lines placing your home or business in possible danger of water backflow. Growing rivers and streams, hurricanes and other similar events can force flood and sewage waters to mix and present genuine health related dangers. You should be immensely cautious when walking in this sort of water, and even stay watchful after the water recedes and dries up. It’s probable for the organic matter to turn aerosolized and respirable, meaning there’s a chance you could breathe it into your lungs. To protect from contact or risk of inhaling these contaminants, proper PPE should be worn 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 sewage backup can also be induced by tree roots that aren’t even on your premises. Be very aware of any tree roots that can reach your water and sewer lines that lead to the main sewer line or septic system.
  • Old/Aging Sewer Lines – Older and aging sewage structures are susceptible to breaking down and cracking, inducing sewer backups, sewer filled basements along with entire home flooding. The older your region 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 pipes or drain pipes become blocked, sewage may back up inside the dwelling. A perfect example is: if a single toilet 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 – Aging sewage systems have a propensity to suffer damage and crack, leading to sewer water influx and flooded dwellings full of sewage. If your home or region is older, the likelihood is greater that you’ll experience failing sewer lines than newer ones.
  • Copious Rainfall – Heavy and sudden downpours can defeat your local storm sewer lines promptly. If these public sewer pipes 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 problems. 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 problems. Use extreme caution when wading in this type of waste, but also remain cautious once it dries. The dried organic waste can turn aerosolized and turn respirable. Correct PPE needs to be utilized at all times to stop contact and risk inhaling tainted air.
  • Blocked/Clogged Pipes – A clogged pipe or sewer line can force sewage to back up into your home or business. If only one toilet becomes blocked, the sewer water backup can spread on to the sewer lines and influence all connected toilets on that line.
  • Tree Roots – Tree roots can be harmful to water and sewer lines. The roots from large trees can make their way into and around the lines and damage them tremendously. If the roots around your property are not the problem, roots from nearby trees can extend under property lines and harm your sewer pipes, causing a sewage complication. Be extra aware of all tree roots near your mainline sewer pipes and/or pipes that run to your septic tank.

PuroClean’s sewage cleaning and sanitation process in Miami, FL

Our methods for Category 3 water (also known as sewer and contaminated water backup) cleaning, following the IICRC industry standards, consists of:

1. Ensure all personnel and occupants remain safe by limiting access to the site to restoration employees only in order to prevent any health-related issues.

2. Health and Safety checks and assessment of the entire work premises.

3. Be confident that all restoration specialists are equipped with the proper personal protection equipment (PPE). This includes but is not limited to:

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

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

5. Completely getting rid of any potential safety risks if possible.

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

7. Disposing of any and all porous and semi-porous contaminated items that are unable to be salvaged, 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 implemented, as well as the use of EPA registered biocides and antimicrobials

9. Physical cleaning of all remaining structure areas

10. A clearance inspection by a third-party Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) is recommended to safeguard that 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 standards

12. Post restoration cleaning of all tools and machinery used

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

For Professional Sewage Cleanup in Miami, FL, Call PuroClean!

Reach out to the PuroClean professionals for sewage abatement, cleaning and remediation. Whether it’s from a blocked toilet, flood waters or sewer pipe backups to manage the problem for your home or business. PuroClean uses the latest, state-of-the-art equipment and cleansing tools to completely and effectively clean and remediate all affected items and structures.

We have proved time after time that our services and our technicians are top quality, efficient, and work with care and empathy for all involved. We are your ideal damage restoration and cleaning group and we pledge to do whatever needs to happen to save and restore all homes and businesses in the communities we serve.

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

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