Toilet and sewer pipe backups may result in sewage entering your basement or other portions 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 experience exposure. Fixing these problems ASAP is highly important, as is getting rid of the sewage from your premises. 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 help prevent sewage backups that could occur in your home or business:

Causes of Sewage Backup

  • Heavy Rainfall – Excess flooding can overpower your town or city’s storm sewer mainlines. If this happens, the water can expand into the connected sewer lines bringing your home or business in possible risk of water backflow. Growing 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 immensely 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 turn aerosolized and able to be inhaled, meaning there’s a chance you could breathe it into your lungs. To prevent contact or risk of inhaling these contaminants, proper PPE should be used at all times.
  • Roots from Trees – Trees can have strong roots that grow into water or sewer pipes and crush or damage them. Damage to pipes and a sewer backup can also be induced by tree roots that aren’t even on your property. Be keenly aware of any tree roots that can sprawl into your water and sewer pipes that lead to the central sewer line or septic system.
  • Old/Aging Sewer Pipes – Older and aging sewage structures are susceptible to crumbling and cracking, inducing sewer backups, flooded basements along with entire home flooding. The older your neighborhood or house may raise the chance of this type of damage 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 drains connected to that toilet, or the main drain pipes of more toilets, will also become backed up.
  • Old and/or Damaged Lines – Older sewage systems have a tendency to fail and crumble, leading to sewer water influx and flooded homes or businesses full of sewage. If your home or neighborhood is older, the likelihood is greater that you’ll experience failing sewer lines than newer ones.
  • Copious Rainfall – Heavy and rapid rainfall can overwhelm your local storm sewer lines rapidly. If these public sewer pipes can’t deal with excess waters, 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 similar weather events can cause clean water to blend with sewage water and other chemicals and contaminants that cause serious health difficulties. Use extreme caution when moving on foot in this type of water, but also stay cautious once it dries. The dried organic matter can turn airborne and turn respirable. The right PPE needs to be worn at all times to prevent contact and risk inhaling contaminated air.
  • Blocked/Clogged Sewer Lines – A clogged pipe or sewer line can cause 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 attached toilets on that line.
  • Tree Roots – Tree roots can wreak havoc on water and sewer pipes. The roots from huge trees can grow into and around the pipes and damage them tremendously. If the roots under 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 connected to your septic tank.

PuroClean’s sewage cleanup and sanitation process in Ocean Springs and Gulfport-Biloxi, MS

The PuroClean process for cleaning and remediating Category 3 water, which is sewer and contaminated water backup cleaning and restoration identified by IICRC industry regulations, consisting of:

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

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

3. Ensure all remediation personnel are equipped with the proper personal protection equipment (PPE). This may include 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. Use established engineering controls, critical barriers, to prevent cross-contamination.

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

6. Disposal, removal of bulk flooding, soil, and contaminates.

7. Disposal of all contaminated porous and semi-porous materials which are not salvageable, which can consist of but are not limited to:

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

8. Cleaning procedures implemented, as well as the use of EPA registered biocides and antimicrobials

9. Full physical cleaning of all structure items that remain

10. A clearance inspection by a third-party Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) is recommended 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. All equipment used on the project to be cleaned after restoration completion

13. Disposal of all demolished materials removed from the building

Call PuroClean for Professional Sewage Cleanup in Ocean Springs and Gulfport-Biloxi, MS!

PuroClean technicians utilize state-of-the-art equipment and cleaning processes to effectively restore and clean the damaged building materials and items from your dwelling or business. If a sewage drain pipe backup from blockage is your problem, call our highly trained staff for sewage removal and cleaning services.

We have proved time after time that our methods and our technicians are top quality, efficient, and work with care and kindness for all involved. We are your ideal damage restoration and cleaning company and we pledge to do whatever needs to be done to rescue and restore all homes and businesses in the communities we serve.

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

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