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Tackling the Stinky Situations: The Realities of Sewage Leaks | SERVPRO of Buffalo/Tonawanda
3/15/2024 (Permalink)
SERVPRO of Buffalo/Tonawanda is always ready to respond to your call when biohazard incidents strike.
The phrase “what’s that smell?” is something that no homeowner or business owner wants to utter as they enter their home or building. Property disasters come in all shapes and sizes, but they also come with varying levels of grossness. We would agree that suffering from a sewage leak is one of the grossest disasters to experience!
Unfortunately, sewage leaks and backups happen all the time. If you become the unfortunate victim of a sewage disaster, quick action is necessary to control the situation and prevent further issues from developing.
Sewage backups can happen whenever the pipe that the wastewater is moving through becomes clogged or blocked. Over time, the sewage will have to go somewhere, and it will eventually travel backward into your toilet, sinks or even bathtub. Sewage leaks can occur if a water line or pipe breaks or becomes compromised, leaving the sewage to leak or drip out of the hole.
No matter the situation, we recommend that you not touch the water. Water is categorized into white water, gray water and black water. Sewage falls into the category of black water because it is toxic and should never be handled without the proper safety gear. Even a small amount of sewage can harbor thousands of viruses, bacteria and microbes that can be dangerous or even deadly.
Stay out of the water, and focus on finding the appropriate water shutoff valve. Once the pipe has stopped leaking or the situation is under control, start opening up windows and turning on fans to let the stink out and to let the fumes dissipate. Close off the area to your family or customers and then get us on the phone right away.
We are well-known for our highly rated restoration services, but we are also well-equipped to handle any biohazard cleaning situation! We have the proper tools and training to tackle your entire disaster with ease and precision. Once you call us, we will be able to load up our trucks with the right equipment and then we will be on our way to you.
In the meantime, pull out your phone and start taking some photos of the destruction. While you may not be framing these photos any time soon, your insurance company will want to see them while they work on processing your claim.
Once we arrive, we will prioritize securing your space by identifying and fixing the source of the leak. Since sewage water is toxic, we will ensure that the area is only occupied by team members that are highly trained and dressed safely.
Some of our technicians will be focused on fixing the problem, and others will focus on removing the sewage and standing water. We will also employ our deodorizers to remove any lingering stinky smells.
If the sewage caused any structural damage to your home or building, we can also repair and restore any warped floors or soggy walls for you so that your home is returned to its pre-disaster state.
Sewage leaks should always be cleaned up by professionals. Call SERVPRO®, and we will take care of you.