When sewer pipes become blocked, the thick, black water that forms as sewage is a health risk, and is extremely unsanitary as it contains contaminants like pathogens, bacteria, and viruses that may pose a risk of extreme sickness illness if exposed to people or animals. If you have a sewer backed up in your basement, or your toilet backs up, you will need to repair it quickly, or you will end up with dirty water all over your floors. Knowing what causes sewer backups, however, may help you avoid a hazardous situation in your basement, home or business. Here’s a list of items that may help to prevent and deal with sewage backups:

Sewage Backup Causes

  • Clogged Drain Pipes – Sewage backs up into your home or business when your drain pipes or main sewer pipes become blocked. To present an example: if one commode starts a sewage backup, the connected drain and/or numerous toilets and the main line may become clogged.
  • Imposing Tree Roots – Trees with large strong long roots have the potential to grow into and around pipes, even crushing sewer pipes. Tree roots have the capability to reach a long distance and wreak havoc on your pipes, causing a sewer backup. Be very aware of roots near your main sewer lines or septic tank area to prevent damage.
  • Aging & Damaged Sewer Lines – Aging sewer lines, pipes, drains and septic systems can fail by slowly cracking and crumbling over time – resulting in sewage backups, water filled homes, and basements full of sewer water. Pay attention to the age of your home and community and look out for these potential problems.
  • Large Rainfall Amounts – Large amounts of rain can crowd your main storm and sewer mains. If it happens that your public sewers can’t handle large rainfall levels, the flooding can make its way into the sewer lines linked to the mainline, and place your home or business in a possibly dangerous possibility of sewer backup. There is a risk of serious health issues when in and around rising waters in your town or city that happens from flooding in rivers and streams, hurricanes, and other related weather, when water blends with sewage, impurities and chemicals. When wading in these waters use extreme caution, and also when the water decreases and starts drying. Organic matter that is dried out can then turn aerosolized and present a threat of breathing in these contaminants. Be positive to use proper PPE to guard against these dangerous risks.

Our Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 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. Ensure the safety of all personnel and occupants by restricting onsite access to remediation personnel only to prevent health-related dangers

2. Assessment of the building along with health and safety surveys.

3. Ensure all remediation 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. Use established engineering controls, critical barriers, to alleviate cross-contamination.

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

6. Bulk water, soil, and contaminates removal

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:

  • Gypsum board (drywall)
  • Carpet, rugs, pad, and/or subflooring
  • Vinyl flooring and underlayment
  • Hardwood flooring
  • Padded and upholstered belongings

8. Cleaning methods put in place and the use of EPA certified biocides and antimicrobials

9. Physical cleaning of all remaining structure items

10. A clearance inspection by a third-party Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) is recommended to assure the building is returned to a pre-affected condition for health and safety.

11. All materials affected by excess waters are to be dried and returned to pre-loss dry condition

12. All equipment used on the project to be cleaned after restoration completion

13. All demo materials removed from the building

For the Perfect Professional Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD Sewage Cleanup Company, Call PuroClean Today!

When a sewage drain pipe backup occurs in your home or business, call the PuroClean specialists for sewage removal and cleaning services. Our employees use state-of-the-art equipment and cleaning systems to fully remediate the damaged building materials and contents.

The sheer value of our sewer water removal and cleaning services, in addition to the speed that we deliver the work, as well as our compassion demonstrated throughout the entire project helps make PuroClean your perfect damage remediation and restoration firm. We pledge to do everything possible and within our power to fully remediate properties in all the neighborhoods that make up our coverage areas.

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

I suffered a flood in my basement during the heavy rains in September after my sump pump stopped working. I called the PuroClean office in Stevensville and Justin and his team were fantastic. They [...]

TIM K.

PuroClean Emergency Restoration Specialists far exceeded my expectations in their recent mitigation work at my residence. During such a traumatic time, their staff kept me calm and acted in an [...]

SOPHIA L.

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