Oh No, Toilet Overflow! Here's How To Be Prepared When Sewer Damage Strikes

8/30/2022 (Permalink)

Commercial buildings aren't immune to flooded toilet issues.

Commercial buildings aren't immune to flooded toilet issues. Sewer damage can occur anywhere, considering a sanitary sewer system connects all sources of wastewater. This includes residential, industrial, and commercial. If something goes awry with the sanitary sewer, you may see an excess amount of water coming out of your toilet — and in a variety of colors. Here's why it's important for you as a business owner to be knowledgeable and prepared when damage to the sewer system is suspected.

Possible Reasons Behind a Toilet Overflow

Sanitary sewer overflows occur when raw sewage is released back into the system. Sometimes, it even backs up into commercial buildings. There are a variety of reasons for SSOs, including:

• Clogged pipes
• Tree root invasion of the sewer system
• Pipe collapse
• Improper design of sewer
• Breaks in the line
• Power outages
• Defects in the system
• Defacing of public property

The EPA states that anywhere between 23,000 and 25,000 SSOs occur yearly in the United States. Sewer damage is common, but it's slightly less common to see this manifest into a flooded toilet in your place of business. In this case, you need to know what to do to mitigate the issue before it becomes costly.

How To Be Prepared
If you notice any sort of toilet overflow, it's best to contact your local sewage cleanup experts in Bixby, OK. Each insurance company has a preferred vendor, so it's best to pick a trusted remediation expert such as SERVPRO that has corporate ties and the right resources available. The worst-case scenario is contacting your sewage company, getting a quote from a company that your insurance doesn't cover, and having to pay out of pocket.
Once you've decided on the professionals preferred by your insurance provider, they can come in and do an inspection. There are three categories of contaminated water: clean, gray, and black. Depending on the source of the overflow, you could be dealing with clean water. However, if not taken care of swiftly, this can quickly degrade into the gray or black category.
Whatever the nature of the problem, SERVPRO's experts can identify the cause and remedy the sewer damage situation quickly and safely.