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Handling A Sewage Backup After Heavy Rains
5/29/2018 (Permalink)
Spring storms can be really stressful for residential and commercial building owners in Huntsville. You have to worry about hail, wind and water damage whenever a storm is predicted for your area. Even when a storm is forecasted, you never know exactly what's going to happen. Sometimes, the storms may leave your building unaffected, and other times, you're left dealing with lots of damage. For example, your area could be under threat of heavy rains, but did you know that could put you at risk for a sewer backup?
Overwhelming Amounts of Water
Heavy rainfall can leave systems waterlogged, and the city sewer system is no different. During heavy downpours, sewer systems can take on too much water. This causes the sewer water to back up into commercial buildings and sometimes homes.
Downpours aren't the only potential cause of a sewer backup. This issue can also be caused by the following situations:
* Tree roots grow into pipes.
* Broken pipes don't allow sewage to leave.
* Grease or other waste creates a plug.
* Vandals drop large items into manhole covers.
No matter why sewage is coming into your building, you need to react quickly.
Creating Black Water
When flooding is combined with sewage, your building is now full of contaminated water. This particular variety of contaminated water is often referred to as black water because it could contain fecal matter, microbes and harsh chemicals. Because this water can be highly unsanitary, you need to get the flooding taken care of as quickly as possible. Not only could you be dealing with normal flooding issues, but you may add other problems to the mix as well.
If you ever have to deal with black water, it's a good idea to bring in trained water damage restoration experts as soon as possible. When there is a sewer backup in your building, it's nice to know who you can turn to for fast, reliable help.