How to Deal with a Sewage Burst
Of all the emergency cleaning services you can think of, a sewage burst is the most dreaded, and no homeowner or business owner ever wants to face the prospect of having to deal with faulty sewage. But it might sometimes happen, making it important to know what to do so that you limit the potential consequences such a burst may result into. If you are ever faced with a sewage burst, here is what you should do:
Never touch the sewage
Avoid contact with the sewage as much as possible. Sewage contains deadly bacteria that can result in very serious illnesses and potentially death. If you arrive home or to the office and find a mess, don’t even enter your house. Call for emergency cleaning services immediately, and have the mess sorted out before you do anything else.
Evacuate your family
If the burst happens while people are present, be sure to evacuate as quickly as possible. If children are present, carry them so that they don’t wade through the mess, and take them out or to a neighbor’s place until the cleanup is completed.
Call for help immediately
Of course you do not want a mess in your place of business or your house. You should immediately call for emergency cleaning services. The primary reason for calling them is to provide an instant solution to the mess by stopping the flow, and then cleaning up the room. Secondly, they will need to carry out an audit on the sewer system to know what might have caused the burst.
Sewages don’t just burst. It is vital to find out the underlying cause of the burst, and obtain a lasting solution. It could be a problem with the valves or the system may have outlived its useful years, and perhaps an overhaul is necessary.
How to Clean Up a Sewage Backup
A sewer backup is a daunting task. It’s highly recommended that you call professional sewer backup in basement cleaners, but if it’s a minor spill, you can attempt a cleanup. Major sewage spills may cause havoc hence demand professional assistance. For a DIY sewer cleaning, this is how you safely deal with the problem.
Wear protective gear. Sewerage waste is toxic and can be a significant cause of waterborne diseases. Wear rubber boots, rubber gloves, protective goggles and facemasks. Your skin should never be exposed to water at any point. In case this happens, wash the part with running water and soap.
Close doors between the contaminated area and other rooms. Seal the contaminated room and prevent leakage to other parts of the house.
Remove the spilt sewage water. If there is a lot of spilt water, a pump will help get rid of sewer water. Find strong plastic bags for soil and debris and any solid waste and dispose of them.
Remove all fixtures in the contaminated room to another room where you would easily sanitize and wait until the plumbing issue is resolved.
Please get rid of all saturated flooring and carpets, baseboard or ceiling and dispose them off.
Please clean up the walls and contaminated floor surfaces with bacterial disinfectants and scrub them carefully in a chlorine bleach solution. Once clean, rinse the surfaces thoroughly with clean water.
Remove any water remains and dry the room with a piece of dry cloth. Run dehumidifiers if you have one in the home, or let the area dry up for 24 to 48 hours. Ensure open windows for proper ventilation and reduced humidity.
A sewerage backup could be a leading molding source due to increased moisture on the floor and walls. Inspect the room for mold. Should you spot any, apply EPA approved mold cleaners immediately.
Inspect and clean all contaminated items through specialized techniques to salvage as many items as you can.
What Causes Burst Sewer Pipes?
- Disposal of insoluble materials. Rampant disposal of plastics in the drainage system causes sewer blockage and may attract heaps of sand, clogging the sewer system.
- Old infrastructure. Most city sewerage systems have outlived their usefulness. They, in turn, have a huge backlog and may accumulate debris over time and clog.
- Heavy downpour. Huge rainfall may overburden the sewer system. Once main sewer lines are full, it may cause backflows, which puts your home at risk of sewer backup.
- Tree root. Long tree roots may intertwine with your sewer line. Huge roots tend to grow and cause holes that might crush the sewer line and cause havoc.
Why Hire Professional Sewer Backup Services
KBS Maintenance has a team of highly trained and experienced technicians who will remove your sewer backup and restore your home to a safe living condition.
- They eliminate any biohazards. Raw sewerage has tons of germs and bacteria, which cause severe infections. If possible, don’t even get near the sewer water. Call KBS Maintenance for sewage removal.
- Professional will find out the cause of the problem. The technicians have worked in this industry and will inspect the situation and offer long-lasting solutions.
- Professionals best cleaning products and equipment
- They have faster results and are available 24/7
- Experts reduce total losses and the overall cost of home restoration. A long-term repair could be more expensive