When you have a sewage leaking into a building or property, you’ve got more than a horrible smell. Raw sewage can be a serious health hazard, even in small amounts. Sewage spills contain bacteria, viruses and parasites, and if not cleaned up quickly, and effectively, you’re exposing family or employees to serious illness and disease.
Sewage spills can be caused anywhere across the septic or sewage system: An overflowing septic tank, tree roots invading and blocking underground lines, misaligned sewage pipes that cause buildup over time, or blockages within the interior systems caused by improper materials flushed down toilets. The spill itself can range from limited – an overflowing toilet – to extreme – a burst pipe blanketing a floor in sludge. The extent of the contamination and the underlying cause of the spill will factor into the steps you need to take next.
DO…
- Assume that anything the sewage touched – even if it’s now dry – is contaminated. Disease causing contaminants will remain behind after moisture is removed. Be especially careful in close areas, like crawlspaces.
- Open any windows and door to circulate air. The contaminants are in the air as well as the sewage material, and can even contain hazardous chemicals. The added air will also help to bring down the humidity and start the drying process.
- Turn off any electrical power if it can be safely accessed. Just as with any flood disaster, water and electricity don’t mix. If you can’t reach shutoffs without stepping in the contaminated area, leave.
- Turn off any water sources that might be adding to the drain system. That includes sinks and toilet flushing. If necessary the building’s water supply may need to be shut off.
- Contact your septic company if the system is tank based, or sewer department if on a public sewer. They may help with emergency pumping, and assist you in determining the cause of the leak.
- Contact a professional environmental remediation company. This isn’t a plumber (although you’ll likely need one of those too). Trained environmental remediation specialists will identify and control the leak and clean and decontaminate the area safely. They will use all required safety equipment and follow HAZMAT protocols, safely dispose of contaminated materials and contents, and ensure that the property is dry and safe to reenter.
- Contact your insurance company if your property has been damaged.
DO NOT…
- Allow the sewage to sit. The moisture creates a well-fed breeding ground for dangerous mold growth, on top of the bacteria and parasites in the sewage. As it dries uncontrolled, the contaminants become airborne.
- Handle any of the sewage material, or anything it came in contact with, without proper protective gear. Regular soaps and detergents are no match for the contaminants present in wastewater.
- Run any air/heating/cooling systems. Airborne pathogens that were limited to the spill area will be spread throughout the building, and contaminate the HVAC system in the process.
- Move contaminated contents into uncontaminated areas. Even if dry, until they are decontaminated, pathogens can spread onto surfaces they come in contact with. Move them outside to a contained staging area.
- Try to clean structures, contents or furnishings with conventional cleaning products – even professional grade. Special detergents and disinfectants are needed to safely remove bacteria, fungus and other pathogens.
Insurance Restoration Specialists, Inc. is a premier provider of emergency response, remediation and disaster recovery for fire, flood, environmental spills and biohazards in the New Jersey-Philadelphia-New York City area. With IRS included in an organization’s Emergency Response Plan (ERP), businesses will have a pre-qualified contractor with a master services agreement, pricing and insurance in place before a disaster occurs.
My daughter was left in a property for 6 hours(From 3.08pm till 9.15pm.) with raw sewage coming through the toilet and bath with 4 children. They didn’t start to clean it till after 10am the next day. There is a false floor with space underneath for pipes, then another I think concrete floor only the top layer has been cleaned. What are the dangers to my family
Don’t come in contact with the sewage water, don’t step in it or track it though out the house. Wash with disinfectant all areas that may have been tracked, wash touch points also, such as door knobs. Discard any carpet, sheet rock or insulation that came in contact with the sewage water along with any soft contents that cannot be cleaned.
If it is a raised floor then there could be sewage under the floor or between layers of floor that needs to be inspected and cleaned/sanitized. Any remaining material needs to be sanitized and dried out. Use heat and/or dehumidifiers, and verify that it is dry with a moisture meter to prevent mold growth. Contractors performing this type of service should follow the IICRC S520 Standard for water/sewage mitigation (Category 3 Water – sewage water can be heavily contaminated and contain pathogens or toxins). IICRC S520 is the only American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard that specifically addresses cleanup after floods.
Thank you for explaining that if you leave a backed-up septic tank sit, then you will be creating a breeding ground for dangerous molds. My sister has been worried about her septic tank since it has been making funny sounds. I will send this article to her as well as recommend that she have a professional come by as soon as possible.
There is an RV on our property (being lived in) for over a year now.
I just found out, their sewer connection has been leaking liquids into our graveled area (where the 5th wheels parked).
Is it going to need special hazardous type clean up?
Sewage damage, what we call Category 3 – black water, can be hazardous. There are potential pathogens in the liquid and the surfaces that have come in contact with the liquid are considered contaminated. Contractors performing this type of service should follow the IICRC S520 Standard for water/sewage mitigation. Anyone handling the cleanup must take caution, at a minimum, wear gloves, mask, and goggles. Dispose of waste in bags. Be careful to not walk in the liquids which can cross-contaminate areas.
I live in hud housing, the septic backed up causing sewage to flood onto my hallway kitchen and living room carpets. It was left untreated from for well over 24 hours. They still have not cleaned my carpets and won’t be until next week. I have two children. Is it safe for us to be here?
Sewage/Septic damage, what we call Category 3 – black water, can be hazardous. There are potential pathogens in the liquid and the surfaces that have come in contact with the liquid are considered contaminated. Discard any carpet, sheet rock or insulation that came in contact with the sewage water along with any soft contents that cannot be cleaned. In some cases wood has to be removed and if it can’t be removed should be treated with disinfectant solution. Then surfaces need to be dried.
our toilet overflowed with waste in it. A small amount of that dirty water got into a floor AC vent. We did clean it out as best we can and also sprayed ZAP, however, we still have an odor coming from it. What can we do to eliminate the odor? Thanks!
If you don’t remove the source of contaminated materials and materials remain wet, you will still have an odor. The vent needs to be cleaned, sanitized and then dried. Anyone handling the cleanup should, at a minimum, wear gloves, mask and goggles. And afterwards be sure to clean your hands and wash your clothes to prevent cross-contamination.
Septic tank overflowed , while doing laundry. Laundry room had about 2 inches of water and debris on the floor where I had framed pictures being stored.
Do I need to throw out these pictures or will cutting the paper and cardboard off help?
If they are low value, then discard them. If the framed items are worth keeping then try to use a general disinfectant on them and then let them dry.
Clean all sides that were in the contaminated water. Use detergents that are cleaners/disinfectants, such as Fantastic spray, Clorox non-bleach cleaners, Clorox or Lysol disinfecting wipes. Wipe all edges with detergent and a rag and please wear gloves.
I live in a trailer park in Macon ga and have witnessed for months my neighbors septic pipe coming from the trailer that it looks like has been taken apart and every time his children or everyone I guess really uses the bathroom just spray down on the ground now this is only the amount of time that I’ve lived there I have contacted maintenance and the owner what’s funny is this place is the maintenance mans trailer and they just say they are waiting on a part??? It stinks it’s gross and my other neighbors driveway has a constant pool of liquid in it so I’m pretty sure that sewer water as well now what’s even more disgusting there is a pond with wildlife not even 20 ft away now people
Eat out of this pond lol I know it sounds like a bad skit in a movie but what if anything should I do?
You should call the local, county or state health department. For the standing sewage and discharge into the pond consider contacting your state’s Department of Environmental Protection.
My house had sewer back up in basement. The water smelled bad but was clear, my husband and I thought we had a leak from sink. So we were barefoot for two hours moving items from the flooded room to another room. I am so so scared now that some thing can happen to us. What can we do (after the fact) for our safety. Also it happened in the middle of night so we didn’t sleep until morning and found out our 3 kids went and walked barefoot there too to see what we did. Please advise.
When it comes to sewage water inside homes, it is best that wood subfloor be removed and all remaining surfaces cleaned, sanitized and dried. After drying, clean again. Clean work pathways and touch point surfaces.
The company performing the cleanup should be familiar with IICRC S500 standards for water restoration.
Contact an IICRC Certified Firm with trained Technicians.
We live in an rv park with many small park model homes. The sewage tanks stopped pumping to the sewage center and therefore overflowed. The lot beside me was pretty well wet till it was discovered. Now my home has awful smell. The park doesn’t seem to take the serious nature of this spillage. Who can I call to get this mess cleaned up or to report it? I am located in Florida
You should call the local, county or state health department. You can also notify your state’s Department of Environmental Protection.
We had sewage leak from underneath the floor. It was leaking for three days every evening.
Now they moved us to another apartment and put some chemicals on the floor. Do I understood correctly that all that water was absorbed inside the walls and beneath the floor? Will those bacterias got into the air with evaporation?
I have two little kids and management wants us to go back to that apartment. We don’t want.
When it comes to sewage water, what we call Category 3 water, it is contaminated with bacteria and many other things.
The primary concern is bacteria. Bacteria can stay active when wet and left untreated and even when they dry out they can leave spores of fragmented particles that can cause illness.
The process for cleanup: all materials that came in contact should be removed, if feasible. If they can’t be removed then they need to be cleaned with a disinfectant, dried and then cleaned with a HEPA vacuum and damp wiped again. If there is tile materials on concrete floor, then those don’t get removed, but if the there is a wood subfloor then there may be a concern with the bacteria under the wood. Each site situation is different. General Rule: remove it, clean it, treat it, clean it again.
If you need advice from a safety specialist, contact a Indoor Environmental Professional (IEP) or an Industrial Hygienist (IH).
They can inspect and test for bacterial to determine if there are any potential health risks.
IEP/IH Safety Resource: AIHA https://www.aiha.org/consultants-directory
Restoration Resource: IICRC https://www.iicrc.org/page/IICRCGlobalLocator
Our city has sewage manholes on our property. There was major spill in excess of 40,000 gallons. My sister in laws home was severely damaged with flood water that was contaminated from these spills. Should the city be offering assistance with this?
The city should be responsible if they are at fault. If you believe they are at fault you should contact them. Do not wait for an offer of assistance that may not come. We have seen many city backups and they paid us for the cleanup at no expense to the homeowner.