Why Sewage Backup Is Different
Water from a broken supply pipe starts clean. Sewage does not, and that changes everything about how it is handled.
EPA says raw sewage can carry bacteria, viruses, protozoa, intestinal worms and inhaled molds and fungi, and that people are exposed through direct contact with contaminated areas. EPA’s guidance for a backup into a home is blunt: avoid contact, because it may carry harmful germs.
Protecting Yourself
EPA says cleanup workers should wear protective gear such as long rubber gloves and face shields. For flood cleanup more broadly, EPA lists an N-95 respirator, goggles without vent holes, gloves, long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, and boots or work shoes (EPA).
What Usually Has to Be Thrown Away
Anything porous that sewage soaks into is difficult or impossible to make safe to use again. EPA says rugs, curtains, flooring, wallboard and upholstered furniture that contact sewage usually must be replaced. The NYS Department of Health lists what can usually be saved and what to discard after flooding.
Cleaning, Disinfecting and Drying
After a basement floods with sewage, EPA says the damaged area must be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. For a home backup, EPA says to wash the tools, equipment and clothing used and the flooded area, disinfect with a solution of 10% household bleach and 90% water, dry the area thoroughly, and not use it until it has been fully dry for at least 24 hours.
Never mix cleaning products or add bleach to other chemicals, because the mixture can create toxic vapors (EPA).
Wet materials that stay wet can also grow mold. EPA advises drying water-damaged areas and items within 24–48 hours where possible. That is a target worth working toward. It is not a promise that mold cannot grow, and it is not a deadline after which mold appears.
If mold turns up
On a New York mold project, H&H performs either the mold assessment or the mold remediation — never both on the same project. See mold services.
What H&H Does After a Sewage Backup
H&H Environmental has operated since 2005, and sewage cleanup is one of the services we provide. The work falls into these parts. Each is described as a service, not a promise about timing, because every loss is different.
Water extraction. Standing water is removed. (Emergency water extraction)
Removal of wet or damaged materials, where necessary. Materials that sewage has soaked and that cannot be cleaned are taken out.
Structural drying and dehumidification. The structure and the air are dried. (Structural drying)
Antimicrobial treatment. Used where it is appropriate.
Monitoring. Drying is monitored so the work continues until the structure is dry.
Documentation and insurance. We work directly with your insurance carrier and provide documentation and direct billing for covered losses. Whether a loss is covered is decided by your policy and your carrier, not by H&H. (Insurance help)
The full list of what we do is on the water damage restoration page.