The only thing worse than finding water damage in your home is learning you are actually dealing with sewage. The experts of ERS are here to help homeowners repair the damage from sewage and flood damage by providing tips on how to prevent, stop, and recognize sewage in your home.

The very first step is to stop using your water to prevent more sewage from getting into your home. Do not flush toilet, turn on faucets, or run a washing machine or dishwasher until the source of the sewage is found and fixed. Your next step is to call ERS to remove the sewage, dry the area, and restore your home.

Like flood water, the damage from sewage is considerable to your home. Carpets, walls, ceilings, and furniture may become waterlogged while electronics will be fried. Unlike regular water floods, sewage puts your health at risk due to carrying dangerous bacteria. You should not attempt to clean yourself in order to prevent the spread of bacteria. Instead, contact ERS 24/7 for emergency sewage and flood restoration and decontamination services.

How Sewage Enters Your Home

When sewage floods your home, it is known as sanitary sewer inflow. There are two main causes: overloaded sewers and clogs in the system. There are several precautions you can take to reduce the risk of sewage flooding. Depending on the source of the sewage, you may need to call a plumber to stop the water.

Overloading is caused when heavy rain from storms floods sewers and storm drains. As a result, flood water reverses the flow of outgoing pipes from your home, sending sewage back. Overloading is usually the result of storms, and you are unfortunately at their mercy. If there is a flood or storm warning in your area, you should prepare for potential overloading by redirecting your gutters to excess rain does not enter the sewers through the storm rains.

Clogs are more of an internal problem, caused when something blocks a sewer pipe. As a result, sewage cannot pass the point of the clog and reverses back into your house. Older pipes are more likely to develop clogs due to their smaller size. However, larger pipes can still by excess toilet paper, paper towels, tampons, cotton balls and swabs, oil, grease, and fecal matter. Preventing clogs involves watching what you flush.

Identify the Sewage

However, sometimes disaster strikes no matter what you do. There are three main types of sewage which can flood your home: black, gray, and clean. Despite the name, “clean” sewage is still not safe for drinking despite appearing cleaner than the other sewage types.

Black sewage contains bacteria, microbes, and chemicals from used toilet water. Gray sewage has both bacteria and viruses and comes from washing machines, dishwashers, and toilets. Clean water usually comes from leaks in pipes or faucets. No matter which type is in your home, avoid touching, drinking, or washing with this water. When your sewer overloads, you know you can turn to the total disaster restoration specialists at Emergency Restoration Services for immediate cleanup and decontamination.

Stop Mold Before It Starts with ERS

Sewage, like regular flood waters, can create the perfect environment for mold and mildew to infect your home. The mold remediation specialists of ERS will remove all traces of mold from your home after a flood. Once we are finished drying your home and removing all traces of sewage, we will check for mold from top to bottom.

After flooding, it is important to have your property checked over for structural water damage as well. Standing water and sewage can cause wood beams to warp, walls to buckle, and concrete foundations to deteriorate. The sooner these problems are found by ERS, the sooner they can be repaired and restored.

Check Your Insurance

Sewage flooding is not usually included with homeowners insurance in Wisconsin and Illinois, meaning you will be responsible for replacing and fixing your waterlogged belongings. When buying or renting a new home, make sure to check with your insurance provider if you can add flood coverage to your plan. Take photos for your insurance agent.

With help from ERS, your home will be restored to how it was before sewage and flood damage.