Obstructed sewer lines can release sewage; a thick, dark liquid that forms. Sewage water is a serious health hazard and unsanitary; which contains contaminants like pathogens, viruses and bacteria. These harmful contaminants may present risks of serious illness if animals or humans are exposed to them. Quick repair is key if you have sewage backup anywhere in your home or business . Quickly taking care of this will prevent the hazardous waste water from staying in occupied areas. To prevent a hazardous condition happening in your home or business, being aware of what leads to the sewer incidents could be beneficial. We’ve created a list of things to aid in preventing and handling home or business sewage backups:

Why Sewage Backup Occurs

  • Considerable Rainfall – Excess rains can overpower your town or city’s storm sewer system. If this happens, the waste can swell into the connected sewer lines bringing your home or business in possible danger of water backflow. Surging 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 highly cautious when walking in this type of water, and even stay vigilant 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 inhale it into your lungs. To prevent contact or risk of inhaling these contaminants, legitimate PPE should be worn 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 sewage backup can also be induced by tree roots that aren’t even on your premises. Be keenly 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 Lines – Older and aging sewage systems are susceptible to crumbling and cracking, causing sewer backups, sewer filled basements as well as entire home flooding. The older your area or home may raise the threat of this type of catastrophe occurring.
  • Clogged and Blocked Drain Pipes – If your house or business’s main sewer pipes or drain pipes become fouled, sewage may back up inside the dwelling. A good example is: if a single toilet 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 – Aging sewage systems have a tendency to fail and crumble, leading to sewage backups 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.
  • Heavy Rain – Heavy and rapid downpours can overwhelm your local storm sewer lines quickly. If these public sewers 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 rising 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 carefulness when moving on foot in this type of waste, but also remain cautious once it dries. The dried organic waste can turn aerosolized and turn respirable. The right PPE needs to be worn at all times to stop contact and risk inhaling contaminated air.
  • Blocked/Clogged Sewer Lines – A fouled pipe or sewer line can cause sewage to back up into your dwelling or business. If only one toilet becomes blocked, the sewer water backup can spread on to the sewer pipes and affect all connected toilets on that line.
  • Roots from Trees – Tree roots can cause damage to water and sewer pipes. The roots from huge trees can maneuver into and around the pipes and damage them excessively. If the roots under your property are not the cause, roots from closely located trees can extend under property lines and ruin your sewer pipes, causing a sewage complication. Be super aware of all tree roots that could affect your mainline sewer pipes and/or pipes connected to your septic tank.

Our Tuscaloosa, AL process for sewage cleanup and sanitation

The PuroClean method for cleaning and restoring Category 3 water, which is sewer and polluted water backup cleaning and restoration as set forth by IICRC industry regulations, consisting of:

1. To protect the safety of all occupants and personnel by limiting jobsite access to restoration and cleanup personnel only to help stave off any health related occurrences.

2. Assessment of the building and Health and Safety checks.

3. Be positive that all restoration employees are equipped with the precise personal protection equipment (PPE). This includes but is not limited to:

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

4. Establish engineering controls, critical barriers if required to prevent cross-contamination.

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

6. Disposal, removal of bulk water, 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. Implement cleaning procedures and use of EPA certified biocides and antimicrobials

9. Physical cleaning of all remaining structures

10. A third-party Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) is recommended to perform clearance testing, to ensure 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. Post remediation cleanup of all equipment utilized

13. All demo materials removed from the building

Call PuroClean for your Professional Tuscaloosa, AL Sewage Cleanup Needs!

What do you do if a sewer main backup occurs in your home or business? The perfect answer is: Call 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 tools, we efficiently restore, remediate and completely clean the affected parts in your home or business.

PuroClean has proved time after time that our work and our technicians are top quality, efficient, and work with care and kindness for all involved. PuroClean is your ideal damage restoration and cleaning group and we pledge to do whatever needs to happen to save and restore all homes and businesses in the communities we serve.

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

We highly recommend PuroClean! The employees go above and beyond to meet every need you might have from property damage. They are efficient and reliable! Thank you PuroClean for coming to our rescue!


Lacey - Mountain Brook, AL

"I could not have asked for a better experience! They helped me so much after my house fire and responded extremely fast. I highly recommend Hunter and his team to everyone."


Laura - Birmingham, AL

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