Toilet and sewer pipe backups may result in sewage entering your basement or other portions of your home or company. This dark, thick water is highly hazardous and contains quite a lot of dangerous contaminants. These contaminants consist of pathogens, bacteria and viruses and present health risks and illness dangers if people or animals become exposed. Finding a remedy to these problems ASAP is highly important, as is getting rid of the sewage from your property. Having information of what may lead to sewer backups may help you avoid a hazardous incident in your home or basement. Please see this list of things that may help prevent sewage backups that may occur in your home or business:

Sewage Backup Causes

  • Drain Pipe Blockages – Sewage can infiltrate your home or business when either your drain lines or the main sewer line becomes clogged. For example, if one toilet creates a sewage backup, the drain tied to that toilet, or the mainline of many toilets, will likely also be obstructed.
  • Tree Roots – Trees with long roots can grow into pipes and cause holes or crush the sewer line by encircling it. Even if the roots on your property are not the issue, roots from nearby trees can reach your sewer pipe and damage it, causing a sewer backup. Always be aware of roots where your sewer lines to the street or septic system is located.
  • Defective Sewer Lines – Aging sewage systems may break down and crack, creating sewage backups and flooded homes and basements. The older your area’s houses are, the greater possibility of these types of issues.
  • Heavy Rainfall – Sudden large amounts of rain can put a strain on your city’s storm sewer mains. If the public storm sewers can’t handle excess rainfall, the water can make its way into attached sewer lines, which can leave your home or business at risk of water backflows. City-wide flooding waters from events such as rising rivers and streams, hurricanes, and other micro events can also combine with sewage waste and other chemicals and contaminants that can lead to health-related issues. Extreme care and safety is needed when trying to walk in these waters, and even when the sewer water recedes and begins to dry out. Dried up organic materials can then become aerosolized and present the possibility of breathing it into your lungs. Proper personal protective equipment (PPE) should be worn to avoid contact and the danger of breathing in these contaminants.

PuroClean’s sewage cleaning and sanitation process in Shreveport, LA

Our methods for Category 3 water (also known as sewer and contaminated water backup) cleaning, adhering to the IICRC industry standards, consists of:

1. Ensure all employees and occupants stay safe by restricting access to the site to restoration employees only in order to stop any health-related issues.

2. Assessment of the jobsite along with health and safety reviews.

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

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

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

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

6. Removal of 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
  • Gypsum board (Drywall)
  • Hardwood flooring
  • Vinyl flooring and underlayment
  • Padded and upholstered items

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

12. Post restoration cleaning of all equipment used

13. All materials from demolition work removed completely

For Professional Sewage Cleanup in Shreveport, LA, Call PuroClean!

When a sewage drain pipe backup takes place in your home or business, reach out to the PuroClean professionals for sewage removal and cleaning services. Our employees use state-of-the-art tools, methods and cleaning systems to effectively remediate the damaged structures and contents.

PuroClean has proved time after time that our work and our specialists are top quality, efficient, and work with care and compassion for all involved. PuroClean is your ideal damage restoration and cleaning company and we pledge to do whatever needs to take place to save and restore all properties in the communities we serve.

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

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