It’s among the worst plumbing problems anyone can imagine. While big leaks or exploding pipes definitely aren’t pleasant, having sewage backing up your pipes into your home or basement is something most homeowners wouldn’t wish on their worst enemy. But it’s a problem that many people face. If you suspect your plumbing system might be at risk for a sewage backup, or you’ve had problems with this issue yourself, it’s important to know the risks involved and what you should do when this issue strikes.
Why Do Drains and Sewage Back Up?
Only a professional plumber can pinpoint the cause of your sewage backup problem. Some of the most common reasons include:
• Structural defects.
• Root infiltration.
• Improper flushes (items that shouldn’t be flushed down the toilet).
• Wet weather.
• Flooding around and under your home.
• Planning problems with sewage lines.
• Pipe blockages.
• Broken or leaking pipes.
How Dangerous are Sewage Back Ups?
Sewage backups are among one of the worst plumbing problems because of the risk that they present to homeowners and residents. Sewage can spread illness, disease and even death. The National Resources Defense Council reports that nearly 2 million cases of illnesses are caused by sewage contamination each year. Sewage is full of contaminants, viruses and bacteria that pose a serious threat to people and their pets. In addition, sewage may contain other toxic substances like pesticides, residuals from pharmaceutical drugs, fungi and protozoan.
Here are a few of the most common bacteria that are found in sewage and what they can do the human body:
• E. Coli – Causes abdominal cramping, diarrhea and occasionally death.
• Acanthamoeba – Causes eye, nose, throat and ear infections.
• Salmonella – Causes abdominal cramping and diarrhea
• Helicobacter Pylori – Leads to increased chance of ulcers
• Hepatitis – Causes liver infection and liver failure
• Leptospirosis – Creates muscle aches and vomiting
• Coronavirus – Including COVID-19
Coming into contact with any of these contaminants can make you ill and send you to the emergency room. Having sewage back up in your home is a risk – and you need to call a plumber immediately.
Steps to Follow When Your Sewage Backs Up
The most important thing to do when you see sewage backing up is to call a plumber! Coming into contact with sewage due in any way – from skin contact to inhalation – can make you sick. Avoid contact completely, if possible.
If you have to cross the sewage filled area, be sure to wear rubber soled shoes and use a breathing mask. Once you’ve crossed, remove your shoes and any clothing that may have come into contact with the sewage.
3 Disease from sewage
Page last updated: November 2010
Disease-causing germs can be spread from sewage if it is not disposed of properly or if people do not practice proper toilet hygiene (cleanliness). If a sewage disposal system is not properly maintained it will not be able to get rid of the sewage safely. For a sewage system to be properly maintained, all faulty (blocked, damaged, broken or worn-out) parts must be mended as soon as possible after they stop working correctly.
Diseases caused by germs:
Bacterial:
• salmonellosis
• shigellosis
• diarrhea
• trachoma
• melioidosis
Viral:
• gastroenteritis
• hepatitis A
Diseases caused by parasites:
• giardiasis
• dwarf tapeworm infection
• threadworm infection
• hookworm infection
• strongyloidiasis
These disease-causing germs and parasites can be spread:
• directly by people coming into contact with sewage or toilet waste (this can happen, for example, when people walk through sewage which has leaked onto the ground from broken sewage pipes) Or that has been ejected from a toilet that has a backed up vent system.
• indirectly by people:
• coming into contact with animals such as flies and cockroaches which carry the germs and parasites in or on their bodies. Dogs and cats can carry germs and parasites too
• drinking water which has been contaminated by sewage
How Sewer Line Problems Affect Your Indoor Air Quality
When you think of the problems caused by a faulty sewer line, you might not think immediately think of poor indoor air quality. A pipe leak is an extremely inconvenient problem that quickly causes significant damage to other home fixtures. If you do have a problem with your sewer line, you need to address it quickly. The repairs might be costly, but the cost of health problems caused by your indoor air quality would be even worse.
The best thing to do for your system is add “sewer cleaning” to your to-do-list to avoid these problems. This simple service will keep your sewer system in good shape.
Signs You’ve Got a Leaky Sewer Line
Some building owners have trouble realizing that they’re having sewer line trouble until there’s a putrid smell emitting from their building. Here are some early warning signs:
• Puddles in Your Yard: A leak might cause some unexpected wet spots in your lawn.
• The Grass Is a Little Too Green: The sewage leaking from your line may be gross to you but it’s great to your plants—they use it as fertilizer. If you notice that your landscaping looks especially great out of nowhere don’t chalk it up to your green thumb, make sure you’re not having trouble with your sewer line!
• Cracking Concrete: Notice an odd amount of cracking? It might be due to the fact that your sewer line creates pressure that damages the foundation of your home.
• Sound of Running Water: Are you constantly hearing the sound of running water, but you can’t find the source? A leak in your sewer line could be the source.
Problems Caused by A Leaky Sewer Line
If you’re suffering from a sewer line problem, it’s not necessarily the leaks themselves that cause the damage, instead, it’s the mold, asbestos, and mildew that leaks create that cause the indoor air quality. These problems lead to a wide array of respiratory problems that put your health in danger. Often, these problems include:
• Irritation with your sinuses (throat, nose, and skin)
• Respiratory infections
• Sinus congestion
• Rashes
• Fatigue
• Longer colds
• Exacerbated asthma issues
What You Can Do
You can have your sewer cleaned! If you’ve noticed that you’re having trouble with backed up drains or toilets in your home, then you need sewer cleaning. It will greatly benefit your system.
Researchers are still working to determine exactly how the virus spreads, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says person-to-person spreading is thought to occur mainly through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes, similar to the flu. It’s not clear if the virus can be spread through fecal matter.
But because the two Hong Kong patients lived near one another in the same building and one apartment was found to have an exposed pipe, authorities are trying to determine whether the coronavirus could have spread through the sewage system.
During the SARS outbreak in 2003, pipes became a source of transmission and it spread through fecal matter. Hundreds of people in Hong Kong died during the SARS outbreak.
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