Water Backup: How It Can Lead to Water Damage

5/20/2016 (Permalink)

At SERVPRO of Yorba Linda/Brea, we know that discovering water damage is not fun. Homeowners tend to feel blindsided and left in disbelief. And oftentimes, after we inspect a house, many homeowners will ask us, “how did this happen?” If the source of the damage is due to water backup, their follow up question usually is, “What’s that?” To have a better understanding of what water backup is and how it can lead to water damage, SERVPRO of Yorba Linda/Brea has complied a list of what you need to know about water backup.

What is water backup?

Water backup is when something has stopped the flow of water, which makes the water accumulate and eventually form a blockage. If the blockage continues without any maintenance done to it, the water backup can create water damage and sewage issues throughout your entire home.

How can you prevent water backup?

While not all water backups are one hundred percent preventable, there are a few different things homeowners can do to ward it off. Here are some tips to help prevent water backup as well as water damage.

1.    Keep on top of your gutters.

It’s important to perform regular maintenance on your gutters. Leaves and other items can cause a blockage, making your home susceptible to water backup and water damage. If there is a heavy rain and your gutters are blocked, that can only lead to water damage in your future.

2.    Adjust the water flow.

Change the landscaping and irrigation so that water flows in the opposite direction of the foundation. That way, if it does get backed up, it won’t be as likely to affect the foundation of your home.

3.    Install backflow valves.

In order to prevent backflow of sewer water, put in backflow valves at all of the drain locations. This includes the drains for sinks and toilets.

4.    Do a test run of your sump pump.

It’s a good idea to run your sump pump every couple of months and to clean it once a year. But be sure to clean it out before the rainy season starts!

What happens when the water backup comes from sewer water?

Being exposed to sewer water can be very dangerous to your health. Not only are there bacteria in sewer water, but when the sewer water just sits, it can actually lead to mold issues as well. Both of these things leave you exposed to the possibility of having health problems. However, if water backup occurs and it is caused by sewer water, even more damage can be done to you and your house.

What health risks are associated with sewer water backup?

There are different categories of water. The most dangerous category is Category 3, also known as “black water”. This category is found in sewer water and can contain toxic compounds that can be harmful to you and your family in many different ways – the main being through bacteria.

A homeowner in Brea recently experienced a Category 3 sewer backup found in her bathroom. The water backup occurred when she wasn’t home, so when she discovered the damage, it had already spread to other rooms in her house. She knew that she wouldn’t be able to remove it herself, so she talked to her property manager and they told her to call SERVPRO of Yorba Linda/Brea.

As soon as we got her call, we sent Project Manager, Edgar Arcila, to inspect the home. He found that the bathroom, kitchen and hallway were all affected by the Category 3 water backup. After getting the homeowner’s approval, we immediately go to work on removing the damage.

Because we were dealing with sewer water, anything that the water had touched needed to be removed. This meant that the lower cabinets, backsplash and counter tops in the kitchen all had to be removed. The vanity, tile floor and shower tile in the bathroom along with the hallway carpet, baseboards and a foot of its drywall had to be removed as well. From there, we disinfected every area affected and set up air scrubbers and dehumidifiers to make sure that everything was completely dried out and sanitary. 

While there was a lot of removal that needed to be done, the homeowner was so happy that we were able to make her house safe again. She knew that her safety was our main priority and was grateful for our help.

What are the viruses associated with sewer water backup?

According to the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC), there are hundreds of viruses and bacteria found within a sewage system. So when someone is living with backed up sewer water, it means that they are exposing themselves to some dangerous viruses. These viruses include:

-       Norovirus: a virus that causes the stomach flu or gastric flu.

-       Rotavirus: a virus that causes severe diarrhea specifically in children.

-       Giardia: this causes severe and chronic intestinal diseases for both children and adults.

-       Salmonella: this causes respiratory issues, airway restrictions and central nervous system problems.

What are the causes of sewer water backup?

Sewer water backup can occur for a variety of reasons. Understanding why a sewer water backup happens can hopefully help you prevent this type of water damage in the future. Here are a few causes for sewer water backup:

1.    Pipelines

Pipelines – specifically combined pipelines – can create problems for your sewage system. For example, systems that combine storm water and raw sewage can oftentimes overload the pipe. When both pieces are being used, the system gets exposed to more than they can handle, resulting in a backup of sewage.

2.    Old Sewer Systems

As time goes by, your sewage system will see a lot of wear and tear, making the system not work as well as it use to when it was brand new. Also, as the years go by, more and more homes might become connected to the sewer system, making it easier for sewer water to backup, flood or even overflow a home.

3.    The City’s Sanitary Main

There is a good possibility that a sewer water backup can result from a block in a city sanitary main. If the blockage is not detected soon enough, the sewage from the main can then back up into homes and businesses through floor drains, making your basement susceptible to sewer water damage. Because of this, be sure to check your basement every once in awhile for water damage.

At SERVPRO of Yorba Linda/Brea, we’ve seen a lot of homeowners discover water damage that’s been caused by a sewer water backup. For example, a homeowner in Chino called us after the toilet in his master bathroom had backed up, causing a flood in the home. After seeing our advertisements, his first call was to our call center. When we heard about his situation, we sent Project Manager, Uriel Valencia, out to the home immediately. 

Uriel provided an initial inspection, which showed that not only was the master bathroom affected, but the master and an additional bedroom, the hallway and the dining room had all been affected as well. After inspecting the damage, he decided to call Crew Chief, Edwin Ramirez, to come to the home and lead our technicians in the cleanup process.

Once the team arrived, we extracted all of the sewage water from the home. We then removed all of the affected drywall in the rooms. Luckily, we were able to save the tile flooring in the bathroom. Because we were dealing with sewage and its many bacteria, we sprayed lots of anti-bacterial products and did a thorough clean of everything.

The homeowner was very pleased with our work. They were happy with how much of the home we were able to save as well as how well we dealt with removing the bacteria from the home. He promised he would call us again for any future water damage issues!

Water backups can definitely be stressful for any homeowner, which is why it’s nice to know the origins of a water backup and how to prevent one from happening in your home. However, if you find a water backup or any type of water damage in your home, give SERVPRO of Yorba Linda/Brea a call today! We are experts in water damage and mold remediation services.