Sewer or septic drain backup or toilet overflow cleanup procedure FAQs:

Questions & answers about how to deal with a sewage spill or a toilet overflow: what should be done, who should do it?

This article series provides septic or sewage backup cleaning procedures, recommendations and standards for buildings.

Sewage Backup & Contamination Cleaning Procedure FAQs

These questions and answers were posted originally

at SEWAGE CLEANUP PROCEDURES & STANDARDS - be sure to review those guidelines.

Watch out: sewage spills contain contaminants that can cause serious illness or disease. Disease causing agents in raw sewage include bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses and can cause serious illnesses including bacterial infections, Tetanus, Hepatitis A, Leptospirosis, infections by Cryptosporidium & Giardia and gastrointestinal diseases.

• Read first: SEWAGE BACKUP, WHAT TO DO IMMEDIATELY where we give the first-response priorities & steps in a sewage spill or leak response.
• Next read SEWAGE CLEANUP PROCEDURES & STANDARDS - steps in removing sewage & disinfecting & cleaning a building interior after a sewage backup or spill.
• At CRAWL SPACE SEWAGE CLEANUP we describe in detail the steps in removing sewage & disinfecting a building crawl space.

 

On 2017-09-11 by Ricky Reed

What if you were renting a house for 6 months before you found out that the shower in the only bathroom was never hooked up to the drain pipe and for 4 years the water and the raw sewage (when the toilet backed up) which was a lot!

Went right on the ground and there was no outside access under the house I finally smashed a hole in the floor that's when we found all that mess. I stayed for 4 months after and they evicted me. But did not clean up the place and I'm worried about if someone else moves into it and dies ,

I'm worried what heath problems I might have , breathing and eating with all that raw sewage under me. What do I do?

by (mod) - what to do about rental property dumping sewage into crawl space

Ricky

You don't say where you live but in most countries, cities, states or provinces it is a building code violation and a health code violation to discharge sewage directly to the ground outside or inside or under a building as you have described.

To respect the health and safety question you raise it makes sense for you to

1. report these conditions to your local health department and building code officials
2. check with your doctor about any specific health concerns

 

How do I make sure my basement is safe after a sewage backup?

We had a half inch sewage backup in cement basement yesterday. We pushed it toward the sump pump with brooms. Dehumidifier, which is always running, was in the wetness. Everything we own is stored down there in cardboard boxes on wooden skids.

My husband sprayed Odor Ban around the exposed floor and as much as possible, under the wooden skids, where a half inch or more wetness was that we couldn't reach.

Today the floor appears to be dry and he says that it is all OK. I have a problem with that. Could you answer some questions? Does the now dry cement still need to be cleaned and sanitised somehow? Are the boxes and things on skids totally fine?

Or should they all be removed and even repacked? They felt "damp" from the humidity. Are the wet wooden skids now contaminated? Should Every bottom and/or leg of hard items be washed off? There are no Windows or outside entrance door to open for ventilation, so what about the bad air?

I have a compromised immune system and have been through black mold issues in the past, at another location, and I Really want to avoid all toxic issues. Any advice is Greatly appreciated! Thank You! On 2017-08-15 by Cheryl

by (mod) -

Cheryl

I can't assess the conditions in your home from just the text, but in general you would need to disinfect every surface that was in contact with sewage.

There is a more subtle risk that during sewage cleanup, even apparently-untouched-by-sewage boxes or other contents are actually contaminated by droplets or even microdroplets of sewage that are created during the cleanup.

Your sump system is contaminated as well and perhaps likely to clog since sump pumps are not designed to function as sewage grinders.

10" deep sewage back up in my basement - can someone clean my tools?

I live in Fort Wayne, IN and had a 10" deep sewage back up in my basement. It has been properly abated, cleaned, and sanitized. My question now, is there a certified service that can clean my tools that were exposed to sewage?
Charles.R.Williamson.Jr@Gmail.com On 2017-08-10 by Charles R. Williamson Jr.

by (mod) -

Good question. What sort of tools? Hand tools? Machines? I think the requirements differ as will the economics or reasonableness of cleaning vs. replacement. Hard surfaced simple items can simply be washed and disinfected. Motors etc are a different matter.

 

Landlord didn't properly handle sewer backup in my rental house - what chemical can I spray to make it safe?

I live in rent a whole house and I had a major sewage backup and it took the landlord 4 weeks to clean it it was only clean with bleach and he cut out all the drywall he has not clean the air ducts.

What is the specific chemical I can buy to ensure that all the areas are free of mold and bacteria On 2016-09-29 by Paul H

by (mod) -

Paul

If a sewage backup is not properly handled there could be remaining health hazards, including on exposed surfaces, in ductwork, in wall and ceiling cavities; while there are sanitizers and disinfectants that are an effective part of such a cleanup effort, simply spraying here and there is rather unreliable:

you could be leaving an un-recognized health hazard in the home.

I'd start by obtaining details of just what happened, what cleanup was done, how expert was the cleaning company, and what independent inspections and tests were performed first to define the scope of work needed and second how successful that work was.

 

When is it safe for my kids to reenter the classroom after a sewer backup?

If my classroom was flooded with sewage from an inclass toilet. When is it safe for my kids to reenter the classroom On 2016-09-02 by John

by (mod) -

John in my OPINION it's safe for kids to re-enter the classroom ONLY after a professional, such as an industrial hygienist or similar expert has inspected the room, reviewed the case history, studied the area that was contaminated, examined the cleaning procedures that were used, and has made one or more appropriate bacterial or other contaminant tests to confirm that the cleaning was effective.

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Continue reading  at SEWAGE CLEANUP PROCEDURES & STANDARDS, or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• SEWAGE CONTAMINATION in BUILDINGS - home
• CRAWL SPACE SEWAGE CLEANUP
• SEWAGE BACKUP, WHAT TO DO IMMEDIATELY
• SEWAGE & SEPTIC CONTAMINANTS
• SEWAGE BACKUP PREVENTION
• SEWAGE BACKUP, WHAT TO DO IMMEDIATELY
• SEWAGE CLEANUP PROCEDURES & STANDARDS - home
• SEWAGE CONTAMINATION TEST
• SEWAGE CONTAMINANTS in FRUIT / VEGETABLES
• SEWAGE NITROGEN CONTAMINANTS
• SEWAGE PATHOGENS in SEPTIC SLUDGE

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