Sewage cleanup and flooding damage restoration in Chicago can occur at a moment’s notice. Water damage from a toilet overflow can be quite immense, and the stench afterward can make it difficult to stomach. At issue also is the damage that it can cause to the flooring, walls, trim, and baseboards. Wooden floors are especially susceptible to getting much damage because of the porous material that allows for heavy saturation. This can make the cleanup of any sewage deposits very difficult to handle. What causes sewage blockage? There are a number of reasons. One of the most common reasons is that drainpipes and waste pipes get choked or clogged up with mounds of sewage, which can hinder flow through the piping system. They can also be choked due to objects being flushed down the toilets, dirt buildup, cracked pipe leakages, etc.
The important thing at this point is to stop the overflow as soon as possible. It is very important to contain the overflow and the contamination. Stop the overflow by using absorbent cloth, newspaper, or large bath towels. The idea is to create a buffer point or barrier to stop the flow until it can be safely removed. Never touch raw sewage with bare hands. At this stage, it is highly contagious and can cause various illnesses, which we will discuss later. Facial masks, protective gloves, and eyewear are necessary to prevent inhaling the toxic fumes from the sewage.
The cleanup process for the Chicago water damage or sewage from a toilet overflow should be done quickly. Special sewage suction devices can quickly gather the waste to remove it from the damaged area and discard it. Of course, once the sewage removal has taken place as it should, then sanitizing and disinfecting are in order. This is where a professional sewage cleanup company comes into play. The entire area that has come in contact with the sewage should be removed effectively. They have special equipment and training to ensure the area is completely contamination-free.
Sewage can penetrate any area, and deposits can rest in unseen areas, especially behind the walls. To prevent the growth of mold and mildew, the wooden flooring may need to be removed, and the walls need to be dried out completely. Air scrubbers should also be used to clean and purify the air and remove any noxious fumes and smells that persist.
When floods occur, along with a mix of toxic sewage, they carry along a nasty sludge that not only moves items as they flow but also a poisonous mixture that defies the elements. Water purification and sewage systems are often severely damaged in the wake of floods, and chemicals from sludge and toxic wastes contaminate the waterways.
Sewage and flood cleanup professionals in Chicago are trained to handle such situations. Still, property owners need to take steps to decontaminate their water supply, disinfect their living areas, and prevent the health hazards and epidemics that often break out in the aftermath of a flood.
People who come in contact with contaminated food or polluted water can develop illness or disease caused by pathogens like E. coli, Salmonella, Hepatitis A virus, and Shigella. Clostridium tetani, which causes tetanus, can also enter the body through cuts and injuries.
Chemical contamination from toxic waste dumps or agricultural waste can cause rashes and other symptoms of chemical poisoning. After a flood occurs, stagnant water can become a fertile breeding ground for mosquitoes, resulting in an epidemic of West Nile Virus or encephalitis. Wild animals can also inflict rabies and diseases spread by fleas, and ticks can also break out at such times. As you see, the devastation can go beyond just a flow of sewage or toxic waste. It can be extremely hard, next to impossible, for some to recover from such damage, especially if one already has a weakened immune system.
Simple Steps to Prevent Disease
Simple precautions to ensure hygiene, such as washing hands with soap, using clean water for drinking, and avoiding contaminated produce, can help prevent disease to a great extent. It’s best to assume that the water supply is contaminated until the authorities declare it safe.
Drink bottled water that has not been exposed to contaminants. Filtered or boiled water is always a good idea after a disaster. Avoid wading through pools of flood waters, as toxic chemicals and pathogens like tetanus bacteria can enter through the skin. As a safety measure, it might be a good idea for you and your family to get a tetanus vaccination.
Keep plastic gloves, rubber boots, and other protective clothing handy in case you have to enter a contaminated area for any reason. Use mosquito repellents and wear full-sleeved shirts and long pants to avoid getting bitten. Obviously, children should not be allowed to swim or play in flood waters or use toys that were in contact with such waters without disinfecting them.
Keep disinfectants on hand if you need to decontaminate some living areas. If you think you’re falling ill or coming down with something, seek medical treatment from your primary care provider and inform authorities at the nearest hospital so they can take measures to prevent an outbreak of disease.
Flood Cleanup Professionals are Your Best Bet in Evanston
Leave the daunting task of Chicago flood cleanup and water damage mitigation around the property to a professional with the training and experience to diagnose and fix problems without the risk of disease or injury. Flood cleanup professionals will usually wear special protective clothing and goggles before entering Chicago sewage and flood waters for damage and repair procedures.
Since flood and sewer cleanup can be a long, systematic, and arduous process, it is best not to be around, if at all possible, while the disaster recovery team takes care of the matter.
An expert water damage and mitigation firm will have the knowledge, equipment, and experience to restore and repair your home. After the professional flood cleanup service has completed the process of restoring your home, you can move back in with the assurance that it is habitable and safe for living once more.
Floods can carry disease and cause an epidemic as contaminants are spread from one region to another. For flood cleanup, water damage mitigation, and restoration, a company should have the experience, technology, and response you need to restore your property and get your life back on track.
Ugh! The basements flooded. Honey, the toilet overflowed again! Oh no, the pipes must have burst! We had to evacuate because a river or lake overflowed.
These scenarios play out every day in the lives of many unsuspecting people. Many think this will never happen to me until it does.
No matter what type of flooding occurs, damage will occur when water is allowed to sit. The longer the water sits, the more damage. For example, damage is minimal if you promptly mop up a toilet overflow and then clean the floor. But what if you didn’t know the toilet had overflowed? What if one of your kids managed to turn off the water but failed to mention that the carpets were soaked? The water is now soaking in, warping the floorboards, or reaching down to the carpet padding. If it’s an upstairs bathroom, water may head south, traveling down the walls or through the ceiling to the floor below. Within a few hours, a musty odor may appear. Before you know it, your minor overflow involves replacing carpets, repainting ceilings, ripping out moldy wallpaper, and other hassles.
Larger sewage cleanup and flooding, such as when a river decides to flood your property, you don’t always have the option of a fast response. You may find that you’re out of town, or the area is cordoned off so that residents cannot return immediately to the properties! High humidity levels and standing water are taking their toll. You can bet that cleanup is going to be a mess. The longer you wait, the worse it will be. Always pay attention to evacuation orders and find out when you can return. Get in touch with a water damage restoration company and put them on, too. Always, always, always call early, as soon as possible, so that you can make sure you’ll be placed on their schedule for priority service. Now is not the time to take a vacation and deal with the water damage when you return. Every minute counts.
Once you get the green light that everything is okay, get going as soon as possible! A large assignment awaits, but take a deep breath and dive right into the project head-on. Make sure that the power is off before entering your home. If handy, a squeegee, a push broom, and maybe even a power washer can assist with rushing the water out of your property. Everything should be thoroughly scoured and cleaned if salvageable. In addition to cleaning and drying, disinfecting all items and surfaces is a must because sewage flood water brings all kinds of hazardous hitchhikers, including bacteria and chemicals. As you can imagine, cleaning up after a flood is not generally a do-it-yourself job. Consider bringing in Chicago professionals for sewage water cleanup, restoration, and repair service before the damage gets worse.
