How to deal with sewer backups

6/24/2022 (Permalink)

Sewage cleanup in commercial pump room.

You are the facilities manager for a large commercial building. you get a call from one of your maintenance staff that your pump room has standing water. What do you need to do?

The first consideration is determining the source of the water. The cleanup requirements change dramatically depending on the source of water. If it was a small pipe break, maybe all you need to do is shop vac up the water and place a fan or two. 

However, if you suspect that the water is potentially sewer water, you will need to take precautions to ensure that you don't make the situation worse.

Making sure your cleanup crew is using proper PPE (personal protective equipment is very important. Even if the water appears "pretty clear" if it came back into your building through a plumbing "p-trap" you MUST treat it as sewage. The waste water needs to be put back into a sanitary sewer line and the affected area needs to be cleaned properly.

Call SERVPRO of DeKalb County when you need to get things done right! 815-758-3900