SEWAGE BACKUP
24/7 EMERGENCY RESPONSE SERVICES
45 MINUTE EMERGENCY RESPONSE IN THE GTA
(416) 602-4355
Whether it comes up through floor drains or backs up into your sinks, you will smell it first. Sewage odour is very distinctive and unpleasant. Once you identify the source and address any repairs, you’re still facing an unsanitary mess that will have to be cleaned
What Causes Sewage Backup in the Basement?
Some of these causes are not preventable but can assist with pinpointing the source of the sewage backup promptly.
Clogs
These blockages are preventable as they are usually a result of something that was out into a drain or toilet. Things that cause clogs include food, hair, grease, paper, garbage, or any other item that becomes trapped in your pipes.
Damages to Sewer Lines
Earth movement and lack of ground support can damage sewer pipes. A sewage backup can occur from cracked, broken, or collapsed lines. Also, iron pipes tend to deteriorate over time, corroding the pipes.
Tree Roots
Overgrown tree roots under the ground can break, dislodge, or even grow right through your sewer lines.
Heavy Rainfall / Catastrophe
Catastrophic storms, especially when they bring about heavy rainfall over a longer period can wreak havoc on sewage systems. If the rain causes the system to exceed its capacity limit, the excess water will cause backflows into residential and commercial properties
Aging Sewer System
If the pipes in your property are outdated, they may be metal or clay pipes that don’t necessarily last a long time. They eventually collapse from age. Many homes experience sewage backups, overflows, and basement flooding when sewer systems become outdated and need replacing.
City Sewer Issues
Sometimes, sewer backups are caused by a problem outside your home, such as a municipal sewer blockage. These city blockages can cause sewage backups in residential homes.
How do you know if you have a sewage backup in your basement?
- Foul odour emanates from drains. Your drains and pipes are designed to carry wastewater and odour away from your home. If you can smell sewage, they are not doing their job.
- Bubbling toilets or drains. This is a major symptom that the sewage is not flowing through pipes properly.
- Sewage backs up into your basement first because it is usually where the lowest drains are in the property.
- Multiple slow or clogged drains or toilets. It is important to notice if your drains or toilets are draining slowly or there are clogging issues. It may indicate that your sewer lines are backing up.
- Standing water or water flowing out of a sewer cleanout pipe. If the pipe that provides access to your sewer line has water coming out of it, this usually means your sewer is backed up.
- Appliance / Fixture Problems. If you use the washing machine and your toilet bubbles, this is a prime example of a sign of a clogged sewer.
Potential Risks of a Sewer Backup
Sewage backups are unpleasant experiences that can cause water damage in your home or business but it also poses some health risks to you and any other of the property’s occupants. Black water and sewage can lead to mould growth which can affect those with compromised breathing such as those who suffer from asthma or severe allergies.
Category 3 water or sewage and wastewater both carry harmful bacteria and airborne contaminants. When dealing with a sewage backup, it is essential that nobody breathes in the raw sewage or comes into contact with it. Possible results of contact include E. Coli, Hepatitis A, Salmonella, Rotavirus, the stomach flu and more.
What to do if you have a sewage backup in the basement?
If you happen to have a sewage backup in the basement, do not allow anyone to enter the affected area, open windows and call a professional sewage backup cleaning company like Metro Flood Services. As sewage backup cleanup can be dangerous and complicated, hiring a professional sewage backup cleanup service is key to restoring your property to its original condition.
Why call Metro Flood Services?
We have the necessary skilled labour, high-tech equipment, PPE and expertise to ensure that the sewage backup is cleaned up thoroughly. Once we have removed the sewage, washed, cut out (if required), and/or dried all affected building materials, we will sanitize, disinfect and deodorize your space.
Call us now immediately at (416) 877-8759 if you are experiencing a sewage backup! Time is of the utmost importance to avoid secondary damages to your property.
