Looking for local Utah sewage cleanup and removal experts? Call us today at (801) 416-2666 for reliable service and quality results—guaranteed. The last thing you want to deal with is a plumbing disaster, with sewage and water flooding your home. Get help from unexpected emergencies with Utah Flood Cleanup. We are your reliable Utah sewage cleanup and removal team. You can count on us for fast turnarounds, long term solutions, and unparalleled customer service. Click here to read our latest customer reviews.
What is a Sewer Backup?
Floods are known for causing extensive water damage to homes and businesses. They can also cause sewage from sanitary sewer lines to back up into houses through drain pipes.
Sewer backup is a common problem we see all the time, and it leads to major headaches for homeowners and businesses. If you notice sewer water backup, it needs to be addressed immediately to prevent damage and reduce the risk of health hazards from sewage exposure. When sewer pipes break down or become clogged, sewer water may build up in your basement and drain pipes, leading to costly repairs and damage to your floors, electrical system, and valuables. If left untreated, water from sewer backup can lead to mold in your home or business.
Causes of Sewer Backup
Sewer backups are caused by problems with either your property’s sewer service lateral line, which connects to the city’s main, or issues with the city’s sewer mainline. Below are some of the most common causes of sewer backup to watch for:
- Clogged Sewer Pipes: A backup of materials in your sewer pipes prevents wastewater to properly flow through your lateral pipe and into the municipal sewer line. Clogged pipes is a common problem caused by a buildup of food waste, hair, coffee grounds or other materials flushed down the drain.
- Tree Roots: Over time, roots from trees and shrubs can work their way into your sewer line and cause leaking and damage to the pipes. Older homes that have pipes made of PVC, cast iron, or clay are particularly susceptible to damage from roots.
- Aging Pipes: Pipes naturally crack with time and require repair or replacement. If you own an older property, make sure you understand what material your pipes are and when they were last replaced.
- Main Line Blockages: Municipal sewer lines are subject to the same wear and tear as your lateral pipe and will experience clogging or buildup from time to time. If this happens, it typically affects multiple houses in your neighborhood and will require a city employee to assess the cause and extent of damage.
Call Utah Flood Cleanup for Your Sewage Cleanup in Utah
Damage from overflowing sewage is an emergency. The elements in the waste and sewage pose as serious health risks. Because of the nature of sewage damage, any cleanup should be handled by a professional, whether the problem is inside or outside your home. Contact us today at (801) 416-2666 and receive a complimentary phone consultation! Utah Flood Cleanup is a team of customer advocates who prioritize your safety. Our technicians and professional staff are here around the clock to help you get through a severe home disaster. Our sewage cleanup solutions are the best in the business and are safe and reliable.- FREE phone consultation
- FREE home inspection for insurance-covered water damage events
- 24/7 emergency assistance
- 2-year warranty on workmanship
- Access to latest technology and sewage cleanup solutions
What Kinds of Polluted Water Can We Help Remove?
Below are examples of the types of contaminated water that can affect your home through faulty plumbing systems:- Gray water: This is also known as sullage and generally defined as wastewater. This is water that is generated from washed hands in face basins, showers, and baths, which is then recycled for secondary use (for example, toilet flushing, constructed wetlands, and landscape irrigation). Gray water can also include water discharge from dishwashers, laundry machines, and kitchen sinks.
- Black water: More unsanitary than gray water, black water contains harmful bacteria and fungi. Black water generally comes from sources such as flushed toilets.
- Clean water: This refers to water that has backed up, but does not pose an immediate or substantial threat to humans or animals. This type of backup originates from a tub or sink that accidently overflows, broken water lines, or water leaking from appliances. Without timely treatment, clean water can quickly develop into gray water or black water.
How to Prevent Sewer Backups
Many property owners incorrectly assume that the city will bear the costs of sewer backup, but this is not always the case. Unless damage is due to a city main blockage or pipe breakdown, homeowners bear the responsibility of costs related to pipe repair or home damage. It’s a good idea to check your insurance plan to ensure coverage before problems occur since many policies do not cover flood damage to your home or business.
Best Practices for Preventing Sewer Backup in Your Home
- Avoid pouring materials down your drains that can lead to clogging. This includes grease, butter, and bacon grease as well as foods like coffee grounds, eggshells, and raw flour
- Avoid flushing paper towels, diapers, wipes, or other paper products
- Switch to plastic pipes to prevent tree or shrub roots from growing into your sewer line
- Ask the city to inspect your sewer main for illegal plumbing connections
- Regularly clear debris from gutters and downspouts and make sure they are not connected to your sanitary sewer line
What are the benefits of professional sewage cleanup and removal services?
Your Utah Flood Cleanup experts have the tools and equipment to effectively eliminate the sewage backup problem. Our team has been specially trained and certified to extract sewage from outside or inside the home. Attempting to clean up a sewage problem on your own can lead to health issues from direct contact to the sewage or from prolonged exposure to the bacteria and other debris left behind. Our specialists will safely remove and dispose of the sewage. This will not only ensure the safety of those in your home, but it will also ensure that others don't come in contact with the waste. We will make sure that all property infected by the sewage leak is properly treated. This includes bedding, furniture, and any additional items that may have been in contact with the contaminated water. Using a professional sewage cleanup service will provide the peace of mind that allows you and your family to feel safe and confident when you return to your home. Is your home suffering from severe sewage backup? Get professional sewage cleanup and removal services when you call today at (801) 416-2666.
Raw sewage is sewage that has yet to be processed in such a way that contaminants are removed. It is usually black or gray water that contains household waste such as human urine and excrement, garbage disposal contents, water used for washing, cleaning, laundry, or other household tasks, and assorted debris that somehow makes its way down the drains of a residence or commercial property. It may also contain soap, detergents, and other commonly used household compounds as well as a wide variety of industrial chemicals. Most people have no contact with raw sewage until and unless a plumbing mishap occurs, and they are faced with the possibility of having to clean it up.
Cleaning up raw sewage is a complex task that requires a substantial amount of caution because significant health risks exist, such as Hepatitis, Gastroenteritis, and various infections and parasites. No one should ever attempt to clean up raw sewage without the proper protective gear. You may be able to clean up a small amount of raw sewage if it backs up in your basement using old towels or sheets along with plenty of bleach, but keep in mind that you’ll never be able to use these items again. Cleaning up raw sewage is a task that’s best left to the professionals.
Raw sewage contains numerous parasites, bacteria, and other hazards that can cause significant health problems. In some cases, those exposed to raw sewage can suffer kidney and liver damage severe enough to be fatal. The skin and eyes may also become infected, and as mentioned previously, Hepatitis, Gastroenteritis, and other serious conditions may occur as the result of contact with raw sewage. Other issues include a bacterial infection known as Weil’s disease which causes flu-like symptoms and occupational asthma.
Sewage blockage has three major causes — structural defects in the plumbing system, solid, oversized objects being flushed down the toilet, and invasive tree roots that have grown into the sewer system to the extent that they create blockages in their own right. Blockages that are not properly dealt with usually result in the entire system having to be redone, which can involve substantial expense as well as serious inconvenience.
The cost of sewer cleanup depends on several different factors. For instance, a small amount of sewage that has backed up into your basement won’t cost nearly as much to clean up as a fully fledged malfunction of the entire system. It also depends on whether tree roots need to be removed or the system has to be rebuilt and on peripheral damage such as ruined carpets, furniture, etc. In many cases, homeowners insurance will cover the cost of cleanup and repair. Skilled sewer cleanup specialists who know how to do the job with minimal risk to themselves and others, however, are well worth the expense.
