Sewage backup inside a building or home comes from one of the following reasons:

1) A blockage in the sewer pipe before it enters the building.

2) A blockage in the mainline that connects all buildings to a wastewater treatment facility.

3) By far the most common, is overloading of the wastewater treatment plant.  Think about people flushing baby wipes down their toilets and garbage disposals clogged with food. When there are more solids than what can be processed, these babies back up into your home.

5) Finally, overloading of an individual building's sewer system can occur due to multiple causes including tree roots blocking the line (particularly after heavy rain), faulty lines (damage from age or construction/maintenance errors), water supply lines crossing underneath or above sewage lines (remember this if you notice you have water lines that run into or under the building) and illegal cross-connections (not your well to your septic).

Sewage Cleanup - What Causes Sewer Blockages?

It can be scary cleaning up sewage on your own, but it's not as difficult as many people believe. This article goes into detail about how to clean up sewage with a few simple tools.

What to Do After Sewage Backup

Once sewage has been removed from an area, there are a few things you should do to ensure the area stays clean. The first step is to thoroughly disinfect the affected area. You can use any household cleaner that contains bleach or hydrogen peroxide for this task. Disinfectants containing diluted bleach, such as those used on countertops, will work well for this purpose. In order to sanitize the affected areas, all surfaces must be covered in a solution of detergent and water or a combination of water and bleach. This is completely different from cleaning up sewage without disinfecting because it kills bacteria instead of just removing it with a solvent like soap and water does. Only after sanitation is complete can you use activated charcoal to absorb the odors in the area.

What to Do After Sewage Backup When You Can't Locate or Fix the Problem

If you have successfully located and repaired the problem but are still experiencing sewage problems, this usually means that there is a problem with your home's plumbing system itself. If this is the case, then it may be necessary for you to call in a plumber. A professional can determine whether or not any further action needs to be taken. It may be as simple as having an additional clean-out installed before your main drain line, or as complicated as needing an entirely new sewer system installed from scratch if your pipes cannot handle the capacity of water runoff from your house and those around you.

When to Call in the Professionals

If you are experiencing sewage problems, several signs point to you needing the help of a professional. If your sewage is backing up into your toilets or other drains, then it should be obvious that this is something that should be handled by professionals. Another sign should be if you smell sewage when no one else does. For example, if you smell raw sewage but all of your neighbors do not, this may mean there is a problem with your particular plumbing system rather than an issue for everyone on your street. Additionally, if every time it rains outside, sewage backs up inside of your home even though nothing has changed in your sewer system, this is another indication that you need to call in a professional.

Why Choose Flood Pros?

Now that you know how to properly clean up sewage, you need to decide whether or not it will be worth your time and money to do the job yourself. In most cases, it is not. This is because of the legal repercussions of doing this work incorrectly as well as the safety risks involved with working around raw sewage. To avoid these risks altogether, contact a professional company such as Flood Pros. We have been trained in handling sewage problems and can handle any size job from residential homes to commercial buildings. We also offer 24/7 service so we are available at all times for emergencies. If you have experienced a sewage backup due to an issue in your home's plumbing system, give us a call today for a free quote.

In Summary:

If you have to deal with sewage backups you can save time and not to mention save on having to take care of one of the messiest jobs around of having to try and clean up sewage on your own. The best thing to do is call in a professional like Flood Pros with the right training and equipment to handle this type of job.