Sewage or Septic Contamination FAQs

Index to Sewage / Septic System Contamination Q&A
Sewage-contaminated crawlspace soil

Sewage Contaminated Soil in Crawl Space FAQs

Raw sewage in the crawl space under my house? Landlord says that's OK

I live in a rent house and after detecting standing water in our back yard, maintenance discovered that the sewer pipe had come apart and was leaking raw sewage into the crawl space under the house. He stated it didnt need to be cleaned up, that it would just absorb into the ground.

The house always smells like sewer no matter what I use to clean with.

The toilet continues to flush sluggishly and if can be heard draining in the bathroom drain.
Our roof also leaks in several areas, can be seen sagging and mold is growing in the furnace area and 2 closets. Not to mention the rotted wood around the edge of the roof that harbors wasps.

What can we do? We live in a very small to w n where there are no building inspectors and rentals are very hard to come by. The landlord is aware of these problems but isn't concerned. 2016/04/12 Lilirishgirl68

Reply: It's not ok and is probably a health hazard and health violation

Lili I can't assess the actual risk to you from just this e-text, but if you are confident that there are indoor and outdoor health hazards in your rental home and if the property owner is not acting on them you may need to get outside help from your health department. Use the search box at the topor bottom of any of our pages to find

HEALTH DEPARTMENT HELP for RENTERS for help that will address the items you cited.

 

How much sewage contaminated soil needs to be removed from a basement or crawl space?

If the soil is contaminated by black water within a raised foundation area with standing water, will such soil have to be removed in order not to pose a health hazard to the occupants.

Intake for the HVAC is from the crawl space also. (Dec 8, 2014) william brouwer

Reply by (mod):

IN my OPINION sewage contaminated soil under a building is a health hazard because of risk of movement of pathogens in building air as gases or dust particles.

As much contaminated soil as can be feasibly removed without undermining foundations or digging to china is removed, the space is sanitized, and a plastic ground cover installed to prevent further entrainment of contaminated dust into the building air.

Watch out: providing building duct system air intake from a crawlspace is unsafe in any event as well as the most-costly way to heat or cool a building, as we explain at RETURN AIR REGISTERS & DUCTS .

There's 1 foot of sewage water in dirt crawl space under my apartment. Is sewage-contaminated dirt a hazard?

2 weeks ago the main drain of the building where i live (i am a tenant) broke and about 1 foot of sewage water was dumped in the crawl space located about 3 feet under my apartment.

The crawl space is made of dirt and the only access to it are the traps located in the apartments (no windows or any opening in the basement other than those ones) The landlady refuses to have the cave inspected by professionnals to determine whether or not the dirt is contaminated or the structure has been affected by the flood.

My question is: does dirt filled with sewage water represent a health hazard for the occupants, especially since the only way any air can get out is inside the tenant's apartment. Must the dirt be removed? Marie-Josee Bastien

Reply: Yes

Marie J

IF sewage spilled on dirt the soil is contaminated certainly at least with bacteria and possibly other pathogens. Moisture droplets that become airborne during cleanup as well as dry dust particles from such soil, if they enter occupied space, are a health risk to occupants.

Standard cleanup procedures are described above at CONTINUE READING and include

• CRAWL SPACE SEWAGE CLEANUP
• SEWAGE BACKUP, WHAT TO DO IMMEDIATELY
• SEWAGE CLEANUP PROCEDURES & STANDARDS - home

Watch out also lest workers track unsanitary soils into the building interior. Also it's worth understanding that because there are usually up-draft convection air currents in buildings it is quite possible for airborne gases or small particles in a basement or crawl space to find their way into occupied spaces on upper floors of the same structure .

Raw sewage at rental home was simply discharged into the crawlspace - what do I do?

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? On 2017-09-11 y Ricky Reed

Suggestions by (mod) -

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

Bath drain emptying into a crawl space of a new home

We bought a new construction home the end of April. I noticed moisture while my daughter was taking a shower Wednesday before last. My husband went into the crawlspace and discovered the drain from our upstairs bathroom was pouring out in a steady stream into the crawlspace under the vapor barrier.

We promptly called the builder's representative and he came out the next morning.

He had a plumber come out who told me that he would return he next day to repair the leak. While cleaning out my closetime for the plumber to make the repair I discovered the carpet was wet and the baseboard that is painted white was discolored brown.

The builder has not returned to my home since. The leak is the result of a subcontractor driving a screw through the pipe while installing the microwave. So, there's a hole in my closet wall. Nothing was done to disinfect the carpet or dry it. No disinfection was done at all. There is a hole over my kitchen stove where the mold is visible.

When I contacted them again today they said the subcontractor as 72 hours from today to send someone out. Is my family safe? (Nov 4, 2016) Lori

Reply:

Lori I can't assess your family's safety by a simple e-text, but certainly if the interior of your home is being flooded by wastewater there are potentially serious risks of bacterial hazards as well as mold contamination.

Typically if wet areas are not cleaned and dried within 24-48 hours the risk of costly mold contamination becomes significant.

OPINION: If it were my home and if the builder who is obligated to fix the leaks is not going to do so immediately, including any necessary cleanup and dry-out, I'd find a plumber to perform whatever emergency repairs were needed and bill the contractor as appropriate for emergency service that was required.

Sewage line ruptured under the house. Are we at a health risk?

We just found out that our sewage line under our house in the crawl space had ruptured and human waste has been collected under our home. We have called a plumber but what I need to know are we at any health risk from it inside out home. (Nov 21, 2016) Linda Thomas

Reply: yes, of unknown severity

Linda,

You are at some health risk but I cannot estimate it. Sewer gas or bacteria-contaminated microdroplets, or bacteria-contaminated fine dust can enter the living space above a crawl space in theory.

How much such dust actually moves up from the crawl area depends on building specifics such as temperatures, building height, building ventilation, and the number of openings (including very small ones) between crawl space and occupied space above.

In a case of serious concern I'd put the crawl space under negative pressure with respect to the upstairs. A pro would do this by installing one or more fans simply blowing "out" from the crawl area. I do NOT want fans sucking outdoor air into the crawl space, as that may create other moisture problems.

So it may be necessary to seal up crawl space vents and openings except where fans are blowing out.

Raw sewage at rental home was simply discharged into the crawlspace - what do I do?

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? On 2017-09-11 y Ricky Reed

Suggestions by (mod) - Watch out: this building may not be safe to occupy

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. If there is anyone currently spending timne in this building, they should get help from the health department or a local hygienist or other environmental inspector to help you decide if it is safe to remain in the home. That will probably require both a thorough visual inspection and some surface testing and possibly air testing for bacterial or other contaminants.

They will need to get a sewage spill cleanup contractor on-site to give you an idea of the scope and cost of the cleanup needed.

2. Report these conditions to your local health department and building code officials

3. For you as a prior and recent occupant: Check with your doctor about any specific health concerns

Sewage Contamination / Spill Under Mobile Home or Trailer FAQs

Sewage spill under mobile home treated with lime; occupants now sick.

We had a sewage backup in a mobile home. It overflowed into duct work and was contained in the underbelly layer for a week because they wouldn’t listen to me about the smell.

They slit it put lime down. Could this be making me sick?

It has been 2 months and I can’t get over feeling sick from coughing and tightness in my chest due to breathing issues. Both bathtubs and toilets overflowed and ran into the ductwork.

Could it still be airborne and what could it be? I don’t know what to do. Some of it was even on some of the walls. Thanks On 2019-07-23 by Sandy

by (mod) - sewage spill under a mobile home

Watch out: it does not sound to me as if a proper cleanup and disinfection or sanitation was done after the sewage backup that you described. If that's the case certainly it's a health hazard to anyone living in that home.

You might ask for help from your local Department of Health.

by Sandy

@Sandy,

I have called the board of health and have a report but no one wants to help me. I’ve been searching for a place to move to and have had no success.

I am sick. They are all friends in this town and I don’t know what to do or where to go.

by (mod) - sewage spill health concerns

That's really distressing. Depending on where you live, your age, income, perhaps other factors, there may be a legal aid society or attorney who can help you get some action.

Mobile home has sewage on ground under the unit

I bought mobile home on contract large down payment.The owner fail to inform me sewage was running out on ground under mobile.

as it was not lived in for some time I thought odor was from a pack rat nest I decovered.I found out within days it was a broken main line to sewer. This was sesonal home.while fixing it it looked like it was that was for many years. I am disabled Veteran and I am now sick.I wonder why all this was hidden from me someone had to know. (Feb 12, 2016) James sumner

Reply by (mod):

James, I can't say for sure why someone would lie, cheat, steal, or risk the health of a future occupant of a home they are selling, I agree that it's wrong, immoral, and mean.

You want to focus on what to do now to make yourself and your home healthy. You might want a few sterile swab tests of the home interior surfaces to screen for sewage bacteria - ask your local testing lab for advice. And the area beneath the home needs to be cleaned and sanitized.

When you fulsh a toilet in my rental house you hear the wastewater running under the home (in a crawlspace?)

I'm living in a house with my family since May of last year and since Sept I have reported mold contamination in the home.

One of the maintenance men had reported it too.

Six months later they finally came out and she [the landlord] wanted him to put sheet rock over the mold and dry rotted wood.

Also in my master bathroom there's green, black and yellow mold.

I also reported when you flush the toilet you can here it running under the house and the floor she still hasn't sent anyone I've sent her pictures and the house smells of poo

I'm pissed off severely and I paid rent now I feel dumb. (Mar 16, 2016) Anonymous

Reply by (mod): sewage and mold contamination are health hazards; do not just put drywall over contaminated surfaces

Anonymous

Your text describes improper "repair" of mold contamination and unsanitary plumbing.

Watch out: Putting drywall on top of mold-contaminated existing walls leaves a potentially harmful, even dangerous, mold reservoir in the home where it may still affect occupants.

Check with your health department.

We give more detailed advice for this situation at MOLD SAFETY ADVICE for TENANTS .

Bath drain leaking below my trailer home

I just discovered my bath drain is leaking beneath my trailer.

The manager of my trailer park said if I don't fix it by the end of the month she will call the health department.

White I understand the urgency for septic, would the health department even be concerned? Is this even a health risk? I plan to have it fixed but I was hoping to wait until the first of the month. (Nov 30, 2016) Aaron Dockery

Reply:

Aaron, your park manager is probably correct, depending on the laws or building codes where you live. In most jurisdictions it is not permitted to spill wastewater from tubs, sinks, nor toilets onto the ground, principally because of the health hazards involved.

Perhaps you can perform an emergency repair that's simple - depending on the leak type. For example there are some quick-fix (not permanent repair) products that wrap around and stop leaks in a leaky drain pipe.

Other Safety Hazards from Septic / Sewage Contamiantion or Exposure

Can a septic tank be left exposed close to where we sleep?

Is your landlord allowed to have an exposed septic tank inside of your apartment less than 25 feet from your sleeping quarters?

And it presently had a leak in the exposed pipe that lead out of the apartment 2016/04/12 Sean

Reply by (mod): Watch out: if a septic tank does not have a safe and secure cover it is a fatal hazard should someone fall-in

Sean I'm not sure what you mean by "exposed septic tank". A septic tank that is visible is not necessary improper in any way.

Watch out: A septic leak that sends effluent to the ground surface or into a building is unsanitary and would be prohibited by local health codes in most jurisdictions in most countries.

In the U.S. and many other countries, state or provincial laws generally require that a landlord has to keep the apartment, house, or building safe and habitable (or "livable" at all times.

Tenants have a clear right to a safe, sanitary, habitable living unit. (Note that condominium *owners* are not protected by these same laws as a condo owner is not a "tenant" under the law, even though there may be commons areas such as septic systems that are not being properly maintained. However health laws prohibiting sewage discharge to the ground surface still apply.)

Sewage explosion in council pipes causes nightmare in rented home

We have moved from our rented home due to raw sewage exploding from the council pipes, & contaminating the indoor areas. Most of the house was affected & a cleaning team removed carpets & underlay then cleaned the concrete with bleach.

They used a similar product to clean our whitegoods eg washing machine, clothers dryer etc & also our dining table etc - all of which were standing in effluent.

My questions:

• is this an effective cleaning method &
• are these items now safe to use?
• Also, many items eg glassware, cooking utensils, mementos etc were packed in boxes, with the bottom of boxes affected by effluent.
• Would the items on top be safe to keep?
• Would clothing hanging in wardrobes be ok or affected with airbone contaminants?
• Can shoes be effectively cleaned? Would items in kitchen cupboards eg cookware, cutlery, dinber sets be safe to use if the kitchen floor had been spared?

The entire house smelled of sewage. Thank you so much in anticipation. Living a nightmare :-( (Apr 23, 2016) Lynette

Reply:

Lynette,

Cleaning with bleach, at proper dilution, can be an effective sanitizing step following a sewage spill.

I cannot know from just your question whether or not the cleaning was effective nor whether or not using your items is now safe. But I can suggest how I would proceed in that case.

You cannot assume that items exposed in an area of sewage contamination are safe and sanitary just because they were above the level of the spill. For example, if such items were left exposed during a sewage spill cleanup it is possible that airborne droplets of sewage contaminated water or even sewage-contaminated dust contacted those items. They ususally need to be cleaned.

I would find a local testing lab who can test for sewage contaminants.

From that lab you should be able to pick up a sufficient number of sterile swab kits along with instructions on how to collect surface samples for lab analysis. I would then test the surfaces of the most-suspect or most-critical items that should have been cleaned, concentrating too on items that might be hard to clean effectively. Test those surfaces. Your test lab may also have additional suggestions.

Keep us posted.

 

Risk of Legionnaire's disease from a sewer backup and a window A/C unit that was exposed?

A few months back, my elderly parents had a major sewer backup in their basement that they'd been unaware of for several weeks before it was discovered. Horrible mess. Got in the plumbers and sanitation workers to fix and clean up. Talking with my mom, I found out she gave my nephew a window-mounted air conditioner that had been stored in that area of their basement, but had no actual physical contact with the mess.

However, I'm concerned that airborne microbes may have infiltrated the air conditioner, and that if my nephew hooks it up for his apartment, he could be putting himself at risk (like a Legionnaire's thing?). My family thinks I'm overly concerned. Any opinion? Thanks for your help! (May 17, 2016) Allison

Reply: maybe bacterial hazards

It's a reasonable concern to raise, as airborne droplets and dust in a sewage spill area can carry bacteria or other pathogens onto nearby surfaces.

I'd be less worried if the window A/C unit had been carefully wrapped or moved to protect it from cross-contamination.

You might want the unit to be tested (sterile swab) for bacterial contamination, as you don't want to grow more bacteria in the condensate handling or other wet areas of the unit and you don't want to blow suspect air on building occupants.

Legionnaire's disease is a specific infection separable from sewage backups.

 

Wall behind my bed is soaked in sewage

Pls i need ur advice, I rent in a house where my bedroom wall is directly behind a soak sewage. D wall is always wet (Oct 25, 2016) maccido

Reply:

Maccido

This sounds terrible. Sewage leaking into a wall cavity means there are going to be bacterial and other contaminants in the living area: possible causes of serious illness. In addition the water is going to cause a mold contamination problem.

Watch out: That is not a safe nor healthy environment. Depending on where you live, most rental property laws require that the landlord provide safe, habitable housing.

Notify the landlord both orally (immediately) and in writing.

If no action is taken you'll need to ask your health department for help and you'll probably have to move out - at least for a time, since a wet soaked wall contaminated with sewage is going to need to be opened, demolished, the cavity cleaned and disinfected, and then repaired.

 

Sewage backup aftermath questions

Sewage backed up into our house and spread across about 150sqft of carpet w/ cement slab beneath.

Carpet ripped out and Servpro did its thing w/in 72 hrs. Some sewage escaped down a hole at base of bathtub (both bathtub and toilet overflowed w/ raw sewage).

How long into the future would any dry particles from the sewage potentially create health problems for us, and what would be the common illnesses that may derive from such exposure? (Dec 14, 2016) Nancy

We recently had 6 inches of sewer backup in our basement and the cleanup crew could not come for 4 days in which time my air conditioning could not be run so there was high humidity due to 29 degree heat in the house. My ceiling tiles have taken on moisture and I am concerned that they contain possibe airborne contaminants from the sewer backup.

Should I be concerned about those ceiling tiles? As well my vacuum was sitting in the sewer water and had sat in it for those 4 days is it able to be sanitized or has the bacteria now spread thoughout my machine? (Nov 13, 2016) Anonymous

Reply:

Watch out: Dry particles from sewage cleanup can include bacteriall-contaminated dust or dust with other pathogens, perhaps viruses.

After a sewage backup cleanup it would make sense to have an inspection and some simple contamination tests performed both in the work area and in other areas close-by where there could have been sewage or droplet or dust cross-contamination. That'll tell you if additional cleanup and disinfection are in order.