Sewage Cleanup and Sanitation in Columbus, OH

When a sewer line is blocked, the sewage that is thick and dark can be dangerous to your health. This sewer water is extremely unsanitary, containing contaminants like bacteria, viruses and pathogens. All of these contaminants can pose a serious health risk and lead to many illnesses if humans or animals are exposed. If it happens that you experience sewage backup on the premises of your home or business, or a toilet backup in either location, fixing either one is of the highest importance. Having this filthy sewer water in your home is not safe and should be removed as soon as possible. Also, knowing what is causing the sewer obstruction may aid in stopping this potentially hazardous incident. To help you in managing sewage backups in your home or business, here’s a list of things that may help:

Sewage Backup Causes

• Considerable Rainfall – Excess flooding can overpower your town or city’s storm sewer system. If this happens, the water can swell into the connected sewer lines putting your home or business in possible danger of water backflow. Rising rivers and streams, hurricanes and other related events can cause flood and sewage waters to blend and present serious health related dangers. You should be extremely cautious when wading in this type of water, and even stay cautious after the water recedes and dries up. It’s probable for the organic matter to turn aerosolized and able to be inhaled, 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 worn at all times.
• Roots from Trees – Trees can have long roots that grow into water or sewer lines and crush or impair them. Damage to pipes and a sewage backup can also be induced 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 lines that lead to the main sewer line or septic system.
• Old/Aging Sewer Lines – Older and aging sewage structures are susceptible to crumbling and cracking, causing sewer backups, flooded basements along with entire home flooding. The older your area or house may raise the chance of this type of damage occurring.
• Clogged and Blocked Drain Pipes – If your house or business’s main sewer line 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 lines connected to that toilet, or the main drain lines of more toilets, will also become backed up.

• Old and/or Damaged Lines – Aging sewage systems have a tendency to suffer damage and crack, leading to sewer water influx and flooded dwellings full of sewage. If your home or area is older, the likelihood is greater that you’ll experience damaged sewer lines than newer ones.
• Copious Rainfall – Heavy and sudden rainfall can overpower your local storm sewer lines rapidly. If these public sewer lines 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 difficulties. Area flood waters from events like surging rivers and creeks, hurricanes, or any rainy weather events can cause clean water to mix with sewage water and other chemicals and harmful toxins that cause serious health difficulties. Use extreme carefulness when moving on foot in this type of water, but also stay cautious once it dries. The dried organic material can turn airborne and turn respirable. The right PPE needs to be used at all times to prevent contact and risk inhaling contaminated air.
• Blocked/Clogged Pipes – A fouled pipe or sewer line can cause sewage to back up into your home or business. If only one toilet becomes backed up, the sewage backup can spread down the sewer lines and affect all attached toilets on that line.
• Tree Roots – Tree roots can be harmful to water and sewer lines. The roots from big trees can maneuver into and around the lines and damage them tremendously. If the roots on your property are not the problem, roots from nearby trees can grow under property lines and ruin your sewer line, causing a sewage problem. Be extra aware of all tree roots close to your mainline sewer pipes and/or pipes that run to your septic tank.

PuroClean’s sewage cleanup and sanitation process in Columbus, OH

Our 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. Ensure all employees and occupants remain safe by restricting access to the site to restoration employees only in order to prevent any health-related issues.

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

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

5. Completely getting rid of any potential safety risks if possible.

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

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:

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

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

9. Physical cleaning of all remaining structure areas

10. We recommend using a third-party Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) to implement clearance testing to ensure the site is returned to a sanitary pre-loss condition for health and safety.

11. All materials damaged by water to be dried and returned to pre-loss state

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

13. All demo materials removed from the building

Call PuroClean for Professional Sewage Cleanup in Columbus, OH!

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

The professional nature of our sewage removal and cleaning solutions, the speed in which we deliver them, and the compassion we demonstrate throughout the whole process make PuroClean your perfect damage restoration and remediation company. We vow to do whatever it takes to restore and rescue properties in all the communities we serve.

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