When sewer pipes become obstructed, the thick, black water that forms as sewage is a health hazard, and is extremely unsanitary as it consists of contaminants such as pathogens, bacteria, and viruses that may pose a risk of extreme sickness illness if exposed to people or pets. If you have a sewer backed up in your basement, or your toilet has backed up, you will need to fix it quickly, or you will end up with dirty water all over your floors. Knowing the cause of sewer backups, however, may help you prevent a hazardous situation in your basement, home or business. Here’s a list of items that may help to prevent and handle sewage backups:

Causes of Sewage Backup

  • Considerable Rainfall – Excess flooding can overwhelm your town or city’s storm sewer mainlines. If this happens, the water can back up into the attached sewer lines bringing your home or business in possible compromise of water backflow. Growing rivers and streams, hurricanes and other related events can force flood and sewage waters to blend and present serious health related problems. You should be highly cautious when walking in this sort of water, and even stay cautious after the water recedes and dries up. It’s probable for the organic matter to become aerosolized and respirable, meaning there’s a chance you could breathe it into your lungs. To prevent contact or risk of breathing in these contaminants, proper 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 impair them. Damage to pipes and a sewer backup can also be induced by tree roots that aren’t even on your land. 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 systems are susceptible to crumbling and cracking, inducing sewer backups, sewer filled basements along with entire home flooding. The older your region or home may raise the chance of this type of damage 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 fine 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 – Older sewage systems have a tendency to suffer damage and crumble, leading to sewer water influx and flooded dwellings full of sewage. If your home or region is older, the likelihood is greater that you’ll experience failing sewer lines than newer ones.
  • Heavy Rain – Heavy and rapid downpours can defeat your local storm sewer lines quickly. If these public sewers can’t deal with excess rainfall, water can backup and progress into connected sewer lines. This can put your home or business at risk of backflow problems. Regional flood waters from events like surging rivers and creeks, hurricanes, or any similar weather events can cause clean water to merge with sewage water and other chemicals and contaminants that cause serious health consequences. Use extreme carefulness when moving on foot in this type of water, but also stay cautious when it dries. The dried organic matter can turn aerosolized and turn respirable. Proper PPE needs to be worn at all times to prevent contact and risk inhaling polluted air.
  • Blocked/Clogged Sewer Lines – A clogged pipe or sewer line can force sewage to back up into your dwelling or business. If only one toilet becomes backed up, the sewage backup can spread on to the sewer pipes and disturb all linked toilets on that line.
  • Tree Roots – Tree roots can be harmful to water and sewer pipes. The roots from large trees can maneuver into and around the pipes and damage them tremendously. If the roots on your property are not the problem, roots from nearby trees can grow under property lines and damage your sewer line, causing a sewage complication. Be super aware of all tree roots that could affect your mainline sewer pipes and/or pipes leading to your septic tank.

PuroClean’s process for sewage cleanup and sanitation in Waconia, MN

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

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

2. Health and Safety checks and assessment of the entire work premises.

3. Ensure proper personal protection equipment (PPE) is being utilized by all restoration personnel. This may include but is not limited to:

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

4. Implement established engineering controls, critical barriers, to stop cross-contamination.

5. Eliminating any and all potential safety risks if possible.

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

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

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

8. Implement cleaning processes and use of EPA approved biocides and antimicrobials

9. Physical cleaning of all remaining structures

10. We recommend using a third-party Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) to conduct clearance testing to ensure the building is returned to a safe pre-loss state for health and safety.

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

12. After completion of remediation – Sanitization of all equipment used

13. All demo materials removed from the building

Call PuroClean for your Professional Waconia, MN Sewage Cleanup Needs!

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

The sheer value of our sewage removal and cleaning services, along with the speed in which we deliver the work, as well as our kindness demonstrated throughout the entire project helps make PuroClean your preferred damage remediation and restoration company. We vow to do everything that’s needed and within our power to restore and rescue properties in all the towns and cities that make up our coverage areas.

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

We are very pleased with the experience we had with PuroClean when we had a pipe burst in our basement. Ryan, Scott, Ella and Caleb were very professional, efficient and personable. We recommend their [...]

PROFESSIONALISM, PUNCTUALITY, QUALITY, RESPONSIVENESS
Waconia

Ryan and his team were extremely professional, knowledgeable and responsive. Communication and quality of work were very much appreciated. - Marguerite Cutchey -

PROFESSIONALISM, PUNCTUALITY, QUALITY, RESPONSIVENESS, VALUE
St. Louis Park

FAQ

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