What to do in the event of sewage damage to your home

Sewage damage can occur much more easily than most people think, and can be the result of anything as simple as a broken pipe, to an overflow caused by flooding.

Sewage damage to the home is an especially distressing event, and one that many simply aren’t prepared to deal with.

Knowing what to do, apart from simply looking to enlist the help of professionals, to make sure you, your home and your family are safe is relatively straightforward. Here, we’ve gone through four key tips that you should bear in mind if the worst does happen.

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Tip 1: Don’t attempt to clean it up yourself

No amount of home cleaning solutions will remove the problem, nor is it recommended under any circumstances that you attempt to clean it up yourself.

Sewage overflows can potentially be hazardous to your health if you expose yourself directly to them. You should be mindful to close off the area if it has occurred in the laundry or the bathroom, and take precautions to avoid the area if it is in other parts of the home.

Tip 2: Take action immediately

Apart from the obvious danger that waste damage can pose to you and your family, it is also the physical damage to your home caused by the standing water component that you also have to be concerned about.

Water damage, especially in homes that have a large amount of timber materials as a basis of the interior and exterior, suffer greatly from standing water being left around.

You should aim to call a professional that can deal with both the waste overflow and water damage as soon as possible.

Tip 3: Confirm the organisation used is certified for this type of work

Sewage damage cleanup is a very particular line of work. It requires an intimate understanding of the dangers that can be both present and borne, as well as the right tools and equipment to get the job done properly.

You should always check to see whether any sewage remediation providers that you are calling is certified through the relevant bodies.

In Australia, a certified company should be able to show you at least some form of IICRC or SRCP certification. These two bodies are the highest of cleaning and restoration governing bodies in the country, and provide a set of standards with which to uphold.

Tip 4: Make sure you notify neighbours or co-tenants

Waste overflow doesn’t just affect you, it can also affect neighbours to your home, and more crucially other tenants in your flat or apartment building.

You should let them know about the situation, as it could also have been caused by and severely impact their plumbing network. Also inform them about you having contacted a professional to come and remove any standing water and waste that is present.

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