As a commercial business owner in the greater Portland area, you wear a lot of hats…but handling sewage backup cleanup shouldn’t be one of them.
For lack of a better word, sewage is gross to deal with, as it contains blends of water and human waste. In other words, not your idea of a fun Friday morning at the office. If you have a commercial property and experience a sewage backup, don’t stress. Instead, call the pros at PNW Restoration.
In this blog, we’ll take a look at sewage backups in depth, including what causes them and how those messes are addressed.
What Is a Sewer Backup? How Does It Happen?
Your commercial property’s sewer lines are constantly working every time you, your staff, or a patron washes their hands and flushes a toilet. When they’re used, wastewater travels through the pipes and to the local sewage treatment facility.
A backup means that this process doesn’t go as planned. Instead of water flowing freely down the pipes and to the treatment facility off-site, it goes backward into your property. Have you ever seen brown water start to fill your bathtub or toilet at home? This is why.
So…what exactly causes these clogs? That’s what we answer below.
What Causes a Sewage Backup?
What causes a sewage backup? The answer, as with many types of water damage, is that it depends. As mentioned above, one of the most common causes of a sewage backup is a clog.
These clogs occur over time, usually by a buildup of dirt, grease, dirt, and paper products. A common example would be flushing paper towels down the toilet. Since this isn’t their intended use, they can lead to serious clogs and backups.
But clogs are only the beginning! Sewage backups can also be clogged by damaged or broken sewer pipes. Though this damage may result from several things, including tree roots, one of the biggest is earthquakes. For a state like Oregon that experiences hundreds of small earthquakes a year, your sewer pipes have ample opportunity to get damaged or dislodged.
Aging sewer pipes may also experience backups simply because the materials they’re made of have a shelf-life. In the same vein, areas (again, like Portland, OR) that receive a lot of rainfall may get overloaded. Like a pipe with a clog, there are only so many places for wastewater to go. With rainfall, too much may overload the lines and lead to a backup.
The upside to knowing this is that there isn’t much you can do to avoid a sewage backup when so many factors are outside of your control. The bad news is that there’s not much you can do to prevent it, either. This is why knowing who to call in the event of a sewage backup is paramount.
Signs of a Sewage Backup
There are a few signs that a sewage backup is imminent. The sooner you call for help, the sooner you may be able to avoid a sewage backup altogether.
These common signs of a sewage backup include:
- Gurgling sounds – if it sounds like your toilet is making noise that resembles gurgling, call a plumber. This is due to air bubbles trying to go through the sewer line.
- Foul odors – Sewage smells, so if a backup is imminent, be wary of any foul smells in your bathroom or in general around the building.
- Water’s backing up – If water is backing up into a toilet or sink, or pooling on the floor, it could be a sign that your drains aren’t draining properly.
What Happens During a Sewage Backup Cleanup Appointment?
The first step is to get rid of all the water because of the high risk of disease. This is usually done with a pump or drain for efficiency. Once the area is free of water, then anything that came into contact with the sewage will be tossed out. Then, the commercial space will be thoroughly sanitized and dried so it’s restored to how it was.
In total, the cleanup process should only take a couple of days. So if you are a business owner, you may want to account for some minor business interruption. However, we’re proud to offer 24/7 emergency service.
Need Reliable Sewage Backup Cleanup? Contact PNW Restoration!
If you need quality sewage backup cleanup services, then call PNW Restoration. We have years of experience treating sewer backups. We promise that we’ll restore your building to the way it was.
Our sewage backup services are available in Portland and the surrounding area. This includes Aloha, West Linn, Canby, and Gresham. Call or email us at (971) 247-3470 or ContactUS@pnwrestorationservices.com to schedule an appointment.
Quality cleanup services are available when you need them. Let the pros at PNW Restoration help.
