When a sewer line is obstructed, the sewage that is thick and dark is dangerous to your health. This sewer water is extremely unclean, containing contaminants such as bacteria, viruses and pathogens. All of these dangerous germs can pose a serious health danger and lead to many illnesses if humans or animals suffer exposure. If it happens that you experience sewage backup on the premises of your home or business, or a toilet backup in either location, repairing either one is of the highest importance. Having this filthy sewer water in your home is not safe and should be removed quickly. Also, to know what is causing the sewer obstruction may aid in stopping this potentially hazardous situation. To help you in handling sewage backups in your home or business, here’s a list of things that may help:

Sewage Backup Causes

  • Heavy Rainfall – Excess flooding can overwhelm your town or city’s storm sewer mainlines. If this happens, the water can expand into the connected sewer lines placing your home or business in possible compromise of water backflow. Growing rivers and streams, hurricanes and other related events can force flood and sewage waters to blend and present serious health related problems. You should be highly cautious when walking in this sort of water, and even stay vigilant after the water recedes and dries up. It’s probable for the organic matter to be aerosolized and respirable, meaning there’s a chance you could breathe it into your lungs. To protect from contact or risk of breathing in these contaminants, proper 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 premises. Be acutely 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 along with entire home flooding. The older your neighborhood or dwelling may raise the threat of this type of damage occurring.
  • Clogged and Blocked Drain Pipes – If your home or business’s main sewer line or drain pipes become fouled, 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 lines of more toilets, will also suffer backflow flooding.
  • Old and/or Damaged Lines – Aging sewage systems have a propensity to fail and crumble, leading to sewer water influx and flooded dwellings full of sewage. If your home or neighborhood is older, the likelihood is greater that you’ll experience impaired sewer lines than newer ones.
  • Heavy Rain – Heavy and sudden rainfall can overwhelm your local storm sewer lines quickly. If these public sewer lines can’t deal with excess downpours, water can backup and flow into connected sewer lines. This can put your dwelling 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 merge with sewage water and other chemicals and harmful toxins that cause serious health ailments. Use extreme caution when wading in this type of water, but also stay cautious once it dries. The dried organic material can turn airborne and turn respirable. Correct PPE needs to be used at all times to prevent contact and risk inhaling contaminated air.
  • Blocked/Clogged Sewer Lines – A clogged 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 on to the sewer lines and influence all connected toilets on that line.
  • Roots from Trees – Tree roots can be harmful to water and sewer lines. The roots from big 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 grow under property lines and ruin your sewer line, causing a sewage complication. Be extra aware of all tree roots close to your mainline sewer pipes and/or pipes leading to your septic tank.

PuroClean’s sewage cleanup and sanitation process in Moorpark, CA

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

1. Ensuring safety for all personnel and occupants by placing restrictions on site access to remediation personnel only in order to prevent health related occurrences.

2. Inspection of the work place along with health and safety reviews.

3. Ensure all remediation personnel are equipped with the proper personal protection equipment (PPE). This includes but is not limited to:

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

4. Put engineering controls in place, as well as critical barriers if needed to stop any cross-contamination from occurring.

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

6. Bulk water, soil, and contaminates removal

7. Removal of all contaminated porous and semi-porous materials which are not restorable, which can include but are not limited to:

  • Carpet, rugs, pad, or underlayment
  • Padded and upholstered furniture
  • Drywall materials
  • Vinyl flooring and underlayment
  • Hardwood flooring

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

9. Full physical cleaning of all structure items that remain

10. A clearance test by a third-party Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) is recommended to safeguard that 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. After completion of remediation – Cleaning of all equipment used

13. Disposal of all remaining materials removed from the site

For Professional Sewage Cleanup in Moorpark, CA, Call PuroClean!

What happens if a sewer line backup occurs in your dwelling or business? The right answer is: Contact PuroClean! Simply because PuroClean technicians are your ideal professionals for sewage removal and cleaning services. With the latest and greatest equipment and cleaning tools, we efficiently restore, remediate and completely cleanse the affected areas in your home or business.

The sheer expertise of our sewer water removal and cleaning services, along with the speed in which we deliver the work, as well as our empathy demonstrated throughout the process helps make PuroClean your perfect damage remediation and restoration firm. We strive to do everything that’s needed 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.

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