Dealing with Sewage Damage before it becomes a Potential Health Threat

Sewage damage is nasty business. The clean-up is costly and the damage it can cause to both life and property are very high. The building structure can also suffer from irreparable damage. Your carpeting, furniture, appliances, padding, and personal items can be affected and damaged. Furthermore, raw sewage is home to a number of dangerous pathogens, viruses, and bacteria all of which are hazardous to human and pet life.

If you suspect sewage damage or water damage, the first thing you need to do is to turn the water supply off and quickly get in touch with a water damage service professional.

 How Does Sewage Damage Occur?

A commonly asked question is this – “How does sewage damage happen?”  There are several reason as to why this can happen. Following are the common causes behind sewage damage.

• Toilet or Bathtub Seepage – is perhaps one of the most common reasons for sewage damage. Care should be taken to conduct regular checks on wax gaskets around the base of a toilet and all the connecting hoses and pipes from the toilets and bathtubs. If any breakage or deterioration is found, it should be immediately addressed. This kind of a check-up should be carried out on atleast a semi-annual basis.
• Blockages in Pipes and Water Mains – can take place anytime an object(s) gets lodged in the pipes and creates an obstruction. This is a common occurrence in the septic system of both residential and commercial properties. The sections impacted include pipes and mains at the property, the intersecting junctions underground, and also the system at the municipal waste water plant. When the pipes and mains are obstructed by any kind of debris, it can result in the either breakage or back flow of sewage into the property.
• Flood Waters and Storms – can happen anytime there is excess water from rains or storms in local lakes, streams, creeks, or rivers and even the sea if there is a storm surge. When this happens, it affects the entire community leading to massive sewage stoppages. The municipal body usually has a set protocol to deal with such situations and they will quickly step in to address any problems.
• Bursting, Broken, or Deteriorating Pipes – are again a common reason behind sewage damage. Although bursting and or broken pipes are common, there are instances where sewage damage can be avoided had the property owner been proactive about repairing or replacing deteriorating or leaky pipes. This kind of damage is slow but dangerous because most property owners are not aware of the condition. This is why, as mentioned earlier, periodic checks of the pipes and water mains should be carried out.

Conclusion

Sewage exposure is a health risk and can be potentially fatal. The risk is not isolated in nature and can impact the health and safety of families in a community, workers and customers at a commercial business complex. Given the nature of the damage and the risk involved to life, it is advisable that the services of a sewage damage service provider are sought immediately if any long-term negative effects are to be avoided.