Toilet and sewer pipe backups could result in sewage entering your basement or other areas 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 home or business. Having knowledge of what may cause sewer blockages may help you avoid a hazardous incident 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

  • Blocked Drain Pipes – Sewage backs up into your home or business when your drain pipes or main sewer pipes become clogged. To present an example: if one toilet starts a sewage backup, the attached drain and/or many toilets and the main line may become clogged.
  • Imposing Tree Roots – Trees that have large strong long roots have the capacity to grow through and around pipes, even demolishing sewer lines. Tree roots can reach a long distance and damage your pipes, leading to a sewer backup. Keep an eye out for roots near your sewer mainline or septic tank area to protect them from damage.
  • Aging & Damaged Sewer Lines – Aging sewer lines, pipes, drains and septic systems can fail by slowly weakening and failing over time – causing sewage backups, water filled homes, and basements full of sewage. Pay attention to the age of your home and surrounding area and keep an eye out for these potential problems.
  • Large Rainfall Amounts – Large amounts of rain can overwhelm your main storm and sewer mains. If it turns out that your public system can’t handle large rainfall amounts, the flooding can backflow its way into the sewer lines connected to the mainline, and set your home or business in a likely dangerous risk of sewer backup. There is a risk of genuine health issues when in and around rising waters in your area that occurs from flooding in rivers and streams, hurricanes, and other associated weather, when water combines with sewage, impurities and chemicals. When wading in this waste use extreme caution, and also when the water diminishes and starts drying. Organic matter that is dried out can then become aerosolized and present a threat of inhaling in these contaminants. Be sure to use proper PPE to guard against these dangerous risks.

Our Victorville 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. To protect the safety of all occupants and workers by restricting jobsite access to restoration and cleanup personnel only to help stop any health related situations.

2. Health & safety survey and complete building assessment.

3. Ensure all remediation employees are supplied with and use the correct personal protection equipment (PPE). This includes, but isn’t limited to the following:

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

4. Institute engineering controls, firm barriers if needed to prevent cross-contamination.

5. Preventing all potential hazards and safety risks if possible.

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

7. Removal of all contaminated porous and semi-porous materials that are not able to be saved, which can be but are not limited to:

  • Carpet, rugs, pad, or underlayment
  • Padded and upholstered objects
  • Gypsum board
  • Vinyl flooring and underlayment
  • Hardwood flooring

8. Cleaning procedures implemented, as well as the use of EPA registered 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 ensure the building is returned to a pre-affected condition for health and safety.

11. Drying of all items affected by the water intrusion back to pre-loss dry condition

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

13. Disposal of all remaining materials removed from the project

Call PuroClean for Professional Sewage Cleanup in Victorville!

What happens if a sewer line backup occurs in your home or business? The right answer is: Contact PuroClean! For the simple fact that PuroClean technicians are your perfect professionals for sewage removal and cleaning services. With state-of-the-art equipment and cleaning systems, we efficiently restore, repair and completely cleanse the affected areas in your home or business.

The high standard of our sewage abatement and cleaning services along with the timeliness in which we complete the work, and the sheer compassion we practice throughout the process make us your complete damage restoration and remediation company. PuroClean promises to do whatever it takes to save, clean and restore all properties that lie within our service regions.

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

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