Sewage Safety Advice

Understanding the Major Risks of Raw Sewage Cleanup and Toilet Backflow

The term “sewage safety” almost seems like an oxymoron, as this fluid waste product is highly toxic and can be dangerous to your health. Raw sewage is known as category 3 black water because of the hazardous and virulent microbes contained in the water. Due to the nature of sewage water, contact with the contaminated area should be avoided at all costs. As a homeowner, understanding the realities of sewage safety is important should this type of disaster should ever occur on your property.

Anyone who has experienced the need for raw sewage cleanup understands how shocking and sudden these events can be. Your home will be calm and quiet one second, and overflowing with hazardous waste the next. We recommend immediately calling water damage professionals the moment a raw sewage toilet backflow occurs, because time is of the essence. This is the most important sewage safety step you can take for the health of your family and the protection of your home. The quicker we are able to respond to a raw sewage water damage project, the less time and money will be expended during the process.

Sewage safety is so important because this black water contains a myriad of viruses and pathogenic microbes, such as Hepatitis B.

San Diego Raw Sewage Safety Cleanup Tips

• If you experience raw sewage water damage, exit the building immediately. It is not safe to be anywhere near raw sewage, and you should find alternative accommodations for the time being. It is sometimes possible to stay in a building that is undergoing a raw sewage cleanup project, but the contaminated area must be able to be completely sealed off from the rest of the property.

• Only professionals with the proper personal protective equipment (PPE) should work on a raw sewage cleanup project. Working in contaminated areas without industry-grade equipment is never recommended.

• If the raw sewage has contaminated an area with absorbent materials, they should be identified, contained, and thrown away in an environmentally safe manner. Once raw sewage has saturated these materials, it is no longer safe to attempt to restore them to a pre-loss state. In accordance with the rules of raw sewage safety, the list of absorbent materials that must be disposed of includes:

  • Carpet
  • Carpet pad
  • Upholstery
  • Bedding
  • Wicker
  • Paper

Please contact us here at San Diego Flood Restoration immediately if you are experiencing any type of raw sewage water damage. We are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.