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What to Do About Sewage Leaks | SERVPRO of Harlingen/San Benito
3/15/2024 (Permalink)
SERVPRO of Harlingen/San Benito is always ready to respond to your call when biohazard incidents strike.
Sewage leaks are something that we all hope we never have to deal with. They may not be the most destructive disaster that could strike in our home or office, but they would likely be the hardest to deal with due to the sheer mess and accompanying smell.
This is actually a quite common occurrence, though, and sewage leaks can strike anywhere and at any time. While there may have been a few warning signs, you could still be caught off-guard. The good news is that the faster you respond, the quicker things will be back to normal.
When wastewater can’t move smoothly through pipes, it will start backing up through your sinks, showers and just about anywhere else it can get to. Sewage leaks can also start if there is damage to your water line or other pipes in the system.
Regardless of how the situation got started, when you have sewage back up in your home or office the best thing you can do is stay away from the water. Water leaks are classed into three categories—white water, gray water and black water. White water and gray water typically stem from clean sources, but black water is considered toxic and hazardous. Sewage is always classed as black water, and it can contain viruses, bacteria and other harmful materials.
Shut the water off at source or to the entire building if you can safely do so, and open windows to start venting the area. If there are fans, turn those on as well to help get fumes moving. Block the area off so kids, pets or coworkers can’t accidentally get near the sewage leak.
Our team is trained and certified to handle any kind of biohazard situation, including cleaning up a sewage leak quickly and efficiently. With 24⁄7 availability, we can start your recovery the moment you call us. While we gather your information, we will also start putting a team together with the right safety equipment to start your restoration the moment they arrive.
While you are waiting for our team to arrive, start taking some photos of the area and any damage done. This may not be the most exciting task, but the more images you can get, the easier it will be to process any insurance claims. It can also help us understand the source of the leak and what the total project is going to look like.
As soon as our team makes it to your property, we will start removing sewage and any standing water while we also work to ensure the source of the leak is corrected. Keep in mind that sewage is considered toxic, so our crew will be in full protective gear to keep themselves safe. It’s best to stay away as much as you can during the cleaning process.
Not only will we make sure that the cause of the leak is fixed, our crew will also start deep-cleaning and sanitizing the area. If there was physical damage done, we will repair that as well. We will work on your restoration until there are no lingering odors and everything looks exactly as it should be.
If sewage starts invading your space, do your best to stay away from it. Call us and let our team handle everything. We will get you back to normal fast.
Sewage leaks should always be cleaned up by professionals. Call SERVPRO, and we will take care of you.