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What’s That Smell? Dealing With Sewage Leaks, Safely | SERVPRO of Allen
3/1/2024 (Permalink)
Let SERVPRO of Allen help you recover from sewage leaks around your property.
If you had to rank the most unpleasant home disasters or situations, we would bet experiencing a sewage leak would be at the top of your list. While they might not cause the most physical destruction, they are simply one of the grossest things you could encounter in your home or business!
Unfortunately, sewage leaks happen all the time and anyone can experience one without much warning. Tackling them quickly can help you avoid lingering issues, so we explain some easy steps to follow if this unfortunate situation befalls you.
When your sewer lines back up, it usually is because wastewater is being forced backwards due to a clog or blockage in the pipe somewhere. These lines can backup into your sinks, toilets or even into your tub. A sewage leak can happen if a pipe or water line leaks or bursts, leaving the toxic water to spill out onto your floor or behind your walls (yuck).
No matter how the sewage ended up where it shouldn’t, you should be prioritizing your safety no matter what. There are three different types of water: white water, gray water and black water. Sewage falls into the black water category because it can contain toxic or hazardous substances like dangerous bacteria or microbes.
Steer clear of the water and avoid walking through it however you can, and find the water shutoff valve that controls the specific pipe to shut it off. Once the water has stopped flowing, you can start opening up windows and turning on fans to let the fumes and stink escape. After giving us a call, block off the area to keep family or customers out of the affected space.
In addition to our highly rated restoration services, we also have a top-notch cleaning team that can safely handle any biohazard situation. Our team will be able to assess the situation quickly and gather the right tools and safety gear that we need before heading out your way.
While you are waiting for us to arrive, take some pictures of the situation. While these pictures will most likely not end up in any scrapbook, they are really important for your insurance company! They will want fresh images of the situation, so the earlier you can snap them, the better.
Once we arrive, we will work on identifying the source of the leak and our cleaning team will start removing the sewage and standing water. Since sewage is a biohazard, our crew will be decked out in the latest and safest protective gear and we will make sure we are following all of the necessary safety protocol so the situation stays under control.
We will deep-clean your space and sanitize the entire area once the sewage has been removed and we will also employ our deodorizers at this point to remove any lingering stinky smells. If the standing water caused residual structural damage, our restoration team will tackle these repairs as well.
Leave the mess to us! Our team will take care of your sewage leak with confidence.
Sewage leaks should always be cleaned up by professionals. Call SERVPRO and we will take care of you.