Sewage spills can occur in any location or circumstance, whether it is because of mechanical failure or mother nature. When these spills occur indoors, it’s easy to tell it is raw sewage. When sewage spills occur outdoors, it is much more difficult to tell what type of sewage is it. Here are the two types of sewage and how it affects the sewage cleanup services Restore Pro provides.

What Are The Types Of Sewage?

The two main sewage types to be aware of include treated and untreated sewage or wastewater.

• Treated sewage refers to any sewage or water run-off that enters and is processed at a treatment facility. Treatment includes primary, secondary, and tertiary processing to remove bacteria, viruses, toxins, and impurities that are harmful to the public, wildlife, and the environment. The water is then returned to the local waterways or repurposed for agricultural purposes, cultivation, or irrigation practice and procedure.

Because it is an overseen sewage system method, most sewage spills are not treated. It is only likely to occur after quick-rising stormwaters or serious flooding events. It can also occur if there is a sewage facility disaster like human error or equipment failure. In these cases, the sewage spill is contained in areas such as on land and commercial or residential property. Restore Pro can handle treated sewage cleanup.

• Untreated sewage spills are much more common in commercial and residential properties. It is also much more serious a situation as untreated sewage contains harmful viruses and bacteria that threaten the health and safety of nearby residents and animals. As untreated sewage comes from broken pipes, back-ups, or overflows, the amount of decay will increase the bacterial hazard to businesses and residents.

Raw sewage backups immediately cause residential and business disruptions. Not only must the area be quarantined for safety, but the longer the raw sewage seeps through the building material, the more likely a property will require additional services like water damage restoration and mold remediation. This is why Restore Pro’s expert staffing is available 24/7 for emergency sewage clean-up services.

How Dangerous Is Raw Sewage?

Some pathogens will survive outside their hosts, so it is highly dangerous in raw sewage. As bacteria tend to look for new hosts, you need the appropriate knowledge, equipment, and PPE.

What are the effects of untreated sewage? Untreated sewage has contaminants that can lead to disease and death. Possible health outcomes of coming into contact with raw sewage or wastewater include diseases such as hepatitis A, E-coli, Giardia Lamblia, Salmonella, and Streptococcus. As these are life-threatening, it’s important to call for raw sewage clean-up.

Whether you clean up raw sewage spills yourself or hire a professional sewage cleanup service, taking the necessary precautions to secure the area is a vital first step. Here are a few critical tips:

• Evacuate the area of occupants and pets. Avoid touching or breathing sewage.
• If there is flooding, turn off the power and water supply to the building.
• Call your insurance agent to report the flooding. You can call Restore Pro or DIY.
• Wear personal protective equipment (coveralls, masks, goggles, gloves, and boots).
• Enter the home and ventilate the isolated area by opening windows and doors.
• Document the damage by taking thorough images of the back-up and damage.
• Remove contaminated items for trash disposal and professional sewage cleaning.
• Apply professional-grade cleaning agents to disinfect the bacteria and contaminants.
• If the spill is a back-up, remove the sewage before making plumbing repairs.

To learn more about Restore Pro’s sewage cleanup services, call us at 1-800-847-0114 or visit our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/RestorePro911/ and send us a direct message.