Toilet and sewer pipe backups can result in sewage entering your basement or other parts of your home or company. This dark, thick water is highly hazardous and contains many dangerous contaminants. These contaminants consist of pathogens, bacteria and viruses and present health risks and sickness dangers if people or animals experience exposure. Fixing these problems ASAP is highly important, as is getting rid of the sewage from your home or business. Having information 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:

Why Sewage Backup Occurs

  • Considerable Rainfall – Excess flooding can overpower your town or city’s storm sewer mainlines. If this happens, the water can back up into the connected sewer lines placing your home or business in possible danger of water backflow. Growing rivers and streams, hurricanes and other related events can force flood and sewage waters to mix and present genuine health related dangers. You should be extremely cautious when wading in this sort of water, and even stay cautious after the water recedes and dries up. It’s viable 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 stop contact or risk of inhaling these contaminants, proper PPE should be used at all times.
  • Roots from Trees – Trees can have long roots that grow into water or sewer pipes and crush or damage 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 pipes that lead to the main sewer line or septic system.
  • Old/Aging Sewer Pipes – Older and aging sewage structures are susceptible to breaking down and cracking, inducing sewer backups, sewer filled basements as well as entire home flooding. The older your area or dwelling 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 fouled, sewage may back up inside the building. A perfect example is: if a single toilet causes a sewage blockage, the drains connected to that toilet, or the main drain pipes of more toilets, will also become backed up.
  • Old and/or Damaged Lines – Aging sewage systems have a tendency to fail and crumble, 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 failing sewer lines than newer ones.
  • Copious Rainfall – Heavy and rapid downpours can overpower your local storm sewer lines promptly. If these public sewer mains can’t deal with excess waters, water can backup and flow 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 other weather events can cause clean water to mix with sewage water and other chemicals and contaminants that cause serious health problems. Use extreme caution when moving on foot in this type of water, but also remain cautious when it dries. The dried organic matter can turn airborne and turn respirable. The right PPE needs to be used at all times to stop contact and risk inhaling contaminated air.
  • Blocked/Clogged Pipes – A fouled pipe or sewer line can force sewage to back up into your dwelling or business. If only one toilet becomes blocked, the sewer water backup can spread down the sewer pipes and influence all connected toilets on that line.
  • Tree Roots – Tree roots can wreak havoc on water and sewer pipes. The roots from huge trees can maneuver into and around the pipes and damage them tremendously. If the roots on your property are not the problem, roots from closely located trees can cross property lines and ruin your sewer line, causing a sewage problem. Be extra aware of all tree roots near your mainline sewer pipes and/or pipes leading to your septic tank.

PuroClean’s sewage cleaning and sanitation process in Highlands Ranch, CO

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

1. To ensure the safety of all occupants and personnel by limiting jobsite traffic to restoration and cleaning personnel only to help stave off any health related problems.

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

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

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

4. Put into place established engineering controls, critical barriers, to alleviate cross-contamination.

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

6. Bulk water, soil, and contaminates removal

7. Removing any and all porous and semi-porous contaminated items that are unable to be saved, which includes but is not limited to:

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

8. Implement cleaning procedures and use of EPA registered biocides and antimicrobials

9. Full physical cleaning of all structure items that remain

10. It is recommended to schedule a third party Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) for a safety clearance test to ensure the entire site is returned to pre-loss condition for health and safety.

11. All materials affected by the water to be dried and returned to pre-loss dry conditions

12. Post remediation cleanup of all equipment utilized

13. Transfer and disposal of all demo materials removed from the jobsite

For the Perfect Professional Highlands Ranch, CO Sewage Cleanup Company, Call PuroClean Today!

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

PuroClean has proved time after time that our services and our specialists are top quality, efficient, and work with care and empathy for all involved. PuroClean is your ideal damage restoration and cleaning specialists and we pledge to do whatever needs to be done to rescue and restore all properties in the communities we serve.

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

Job well done

ROBERT R.

We found ourselves in a bad situation and James from PuroClean came to our rescue. He was at our house within an hour of our call and ready to work. After calling around and finding a lot of [...]

SHELLEY C.

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