When sewer pipes become blocked, the thick, black water that presents as sewage is a health hazard, and is extremely unsanitary as it consists of contaminants like pathogens, bacteria, and viruses that can present a risk of extreme sickness illness if exposed to people or pets. 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 sewage all over your floors. Knowing what causes sewer backups, however, may help you avoid a hazardous situation in your basement, home or business. Following is a list of items that may help to prevent and handle sewage backups:

Sewage Backup Causes

  • Considerable Rainfall – Excess rains can overpower your town or city’s storm sewer mainlines. If this happens, the water can expand into the connected sewer lines putting your home or business in possible danger of water backflow. Swelling rivers and streams, hurricanes and other relevant events can force flood and sewage waters to blend and present serious health related problems. You should be extremely cautious when walking in this type of water, and even stay watchful after the water recedes and dries up. It’s probable for the organic matter to become aerosolized and respirable, meaning there’s a chance you could inhale it into your lungs. To prevent contact or risk of inhaling these contaminants, proper PPE should be used at all times.
  • Tree Roots – Trees can have strong roots that grow into water or sewer pipes and crush or damage them. Damage to pipes and a sewage backup can also be caused by tree roots that aren’t even on your land. Be very 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 Lines – Older and aging sewage structures are susceptible to crumbling and cracking, causing sewer backups, sewer filled basements along with entire home flooding. The older your region or house may raise the chance of this type of catastrophe occurring.
  • Clogged and Blocked Drain Pipes – If your home or business’s main sewer line or drain pipes become blocked, sewage may back up inside the dwelling. A good example is: if a single commode causes a sewage backup, the adjacent pipes 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 dwellings full of sewage. If your home or region is older, the probability is greater that you’ll experience damaged sewer lines than newer ones.
  • Copious Rainfall – Heavy and sudden downpours can overpower your local storm sewer lines quickly. If these public sewer mains can’t deal with excess rainfall, 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 rising rivers and creeks, hurricanes, or any similar 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 aerosolized and turn respirable. The right PPE needs to be worn at all times to stop contact and risk inhaling polluted air.
  • Blocked/Clogged Pipes – A fouled pipe or sewer line can force sewage to back up into your home or business. If only one commode becomes backed up, the sewage backup can spread on to the sewer pipes and affect all linked toilets on that line.
  • Roots from Trees – 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 excessively. If the roots on your property are not the problem, roots from closely located trees can grow under property lines and damage your sewer line, causing a sewage problem. Be super aware of all tree roots that could affect your mainline sewer pipes and/or pipes leading to your septic tank.

PuroClean’s sewage cleanup and sanitation process in Orland Park and Tinley Park, IL

PuroClean’s process for cleaning and restoration of Category 3 water, aka sewer and contaminated water backup clean up following the IICRC industry standards, is as follows:

1. To ensure the safety of all occupants and workers by restricting jobsite access to restoration and cleanup personnel only to help prevent any health related occurrences.

2. Valuation of the work place along with health and safety surveys.

3. Ensure all restoration 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. Implement established engineering controls, critical barriers, to prevent cross-contamination.

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

6. Eradication of bulk water, dirt, and contaminates.

7. Eradication and disposal of all contaminated porous and semi-porous items that is not restorable – which can be but is not limited to:

  • Carpet, rugs, pad, or underlayment
  • Padded and upholstered objects
  • Drywall materials
  • Vinyl flooring and underlayment
  • Wooden flooring

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 test by a third-party Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) is recommended to assure the building is returned to a pre-loss condition for health and safety.

11. All items and structure affected by the water to be dried and returned to pre-loss dry standards

12. After completion of remediation – Cleansing of all equipment used

13. Disposal of all demo materials removed from the building

For the Perfect Professional Orland Park and Tinley Park, IL Sewage Cleanup Company, Call PuroClean Today!

Reach out to the PuroClean specialists for sewage removal, cleaning and remediation. Whether it’s from a clogged toilet, flood waters or sewer pipe backups to manage the problem for your dwelling. PuroClean uses the newest, state-of-the-art equipment and cleaning systems to completely and efficiently clean and remediate all affected items and structures.

The high goals of our sewage abatement and cleaning services along with the speed in which we complete the work, and the absolute care we practice throughout the process make us your complete flood damage restoration and remediation company. PuroClean vows to do whatever it takes to rescue, clean and restore all properties that are within our service neighborhoods.

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

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