Following a sewage spillage the first call should be to Interior Era where we can provide immediate assistance. Our emergency sewage restoration specialists can respond at a short notice and make a detailed assessment of the damaged area. Sewage spillages not only look and smell unpleasant but pose a risk to health.
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Call today to speak with an experienced professional; we can be on-site in less than 60 minutes once we have all your details.
Sewage Spills
Sewage spills are closely related to flood events as are classified under this category. Whether you have a small spillage from a toilet overflow, or if large areas of a building are contaminated due to a blocked/burst stack pipe Interior Era can assist immediately.
Information about Sewage Damage
Sewage damage is much like flood damage in terms of the effect it will have on property. Unlike clean flood water, sewage contains the risk to human health, not to mention the fact that many people (including daily office cleaning companies), do not wish to deal with a spill or do not have the correct personal protective equipment or disinfectants to clean up correctly.
Sewage comes in two forms: treated and untreated.
Untreated sewage – This is any liquid which contains biological material and has not yet gone through the sewage treatment plant. Raw sewage would be typically that found where toilets back up and overspill or stack pipes rupture in larger buildings. Untreated sewage has a far greater potential to cause illness and the longer the sewage has been sitting and stagnating the greater the amount of bacteria it will contain. Untreated sewage should be dealt with immediately, we can get to you fast and clean this up reducing business interruption and by choosing CleanSafe you will demonstrate a commitment to Health and Safety as well as for filling your duty of care responsibilities.
Untreated sewage – This is any liquid which contains biological material and has not yet gone through the sewage treatment plant. Raw sewage would be typically that found where toilets back up and overspill or stack pipes rupture in larger buildings. Untreated sewage has a far greater potential to cause illness and the longer the sewage has been sitting and stagnating the greater the amount of bacteria it will contain. Untreated sewage should be dealt with immediately, we can get to you fast and clean this up reducing business interruption and by choosing CleanSafe you will demonstrate a commitment to Health and Safety as well as for filling your duty of care responsibilities.
Treated sewage – Any sewage that has passed through a treatment plant will have been treated with either UV light or chemical processes to eliminate harmful bacteria. Once treated the sewage will usually pass out into the sea where pipes run for many miles to ensure it does not wash up on-shore. There has been much in the press over the years where this was not the case and the action group surfers against sewage has worked hard to lobby sewage treatment works and government for better treatment of the waste and alternative disposal methods.
Coming into contact with treated sewage is rare, but can arise if large flooding events effect sewage treatment plants or in very rare cases there is a pump or other equipment failure which results in the sewage spreading over the land and potentially into property.
Water that originates from heavy industry that may not contain faecal matter is also classified as sewage. This is due to the frequent cocktail of chemicals and nutrients in this water which create perfect living and growing conditions for bacteria. This waste may be more hazardous depending on the chemicals it contains and such spillages should only be cleaned up by a specialist team.
The remedy to treat sewage spillages is fairly similar for each spill. Very large spills will require the attendance of a vacuum tanker which can remove thousands of gallons.Once complete our team of technicians will remove any remaining debris, disinfect the area and our flood restoration team will then install drying equipment to ensure mold and fungus cannot develop and the ‘damp’ smell which we are all familiar with is prevented.We will keep you informed at each stage of the process.
Bacterial Infections – There are a wide range of bacterial infections that can result from contact/ingestion of mainly grey or black water classifications. Some include E. coli, Botulism, Dysentery, Leptospirosis and Salmonellosis.
All the above are present when the water has some contamination of sewage, is stale or contains other nutritional substances which promotes the growth of bacteria. These bacteria will induce a range of diseases including diarrhea, flu like symptoms, double vision, fever and respiratory failure.
Viral Infections – Hepatitis A, Polyomavirus Infection and SARS. These bacteria can enter the body via ingestion or cuts in the skin. All viral infections are NOT treatable by antibiotics and there is no known cure for the Hepatitis family of viruses.
Again, unsanitary water may contain these viruses and as with all infections will make the infected individual suffer from a range of symptoms which include fatigue, fever, myalgia and headaches.
Protozoan Infections – Contact and ingestion of contaminated or un-treated water can result in these additional infections which are caused by the protozoa Amoebiasis, Cryptosporidiosis, Giardiasis and Microsporidiosis. Protozoa are single celled organisms.
Symptoms of infection range from fatigue, cramps, diarrhea to bloating.
There are other fungal and parasitic infections that are transmissible by contaminated water but these are largely rare in Canada and are not covered here.
If you suffer from any of the above symptoms after coming in contact with contaminated water you should contact a doctor immediately.
It is highly recommended that sewage damage is dealt quickly following the event. This needs to be done for many reasons which are not just health related.
The longer the fabric of the building is exposed to sewage (as it contains water) it will become weakened, may expand (in the case of wood), and if not dried will smell and eventually support fungal growth which has another adverse impact to health.
This will have the effect of increasing the cost of repairs of the building and prevent carpets or any redecoration being carried out.
Following a sewage outbreak your first call should be to us so that the cleaning process can begin and minimal secondary damage can result.
We promise to be on-site within 1 hour and start the remediation process straight away. We will deal with your insurer directly or if you prefer we are happy to send all the paperwork directly to you.
IT SHOULD NOT BE UNDERESTIMATED THAT CORRECTLY DRYING A BUILDING IS A KEY TO REDUCING SECONDARY DAMAGE AND DENYING AN ENVIRONMENT FOR BACTERIA AND VIRUSES TO SURVIVE!
So, if you have suffered sewage damage CALL US 24/7 AT 416-897-1676