Sewage damage in Minneapolis, MN
Sewage maintenance made easy
Don’t smell like a sewer.
This stuff is gross. Backed-up toilets, bathtubs, and the like are breeding grounds for all the nasty things you don’t want in your house.
And even worse, when sewer water seeps into your floors, walls, or even ground floor ceilings, you’re going to end up spending a lot of money on repairs and maybe odor control!
So what do you do when the plumbing takes on a mind of its own, and the nastiest stuff you’ve ever seen invades your house? We’ve got some answers for you.
We’re going to talk about different types of sewage that could come back up the pipes into your house and what to do if you’re unlucky enough to experience it.
Types of sewage backup:
We’re talking about different levels of gross here, ranging from the “that’s not bad at all” to the “give me a mask and let me borrow someone else’s hands” variety.
Luckily for you and us, Minneapolis-based restoration company Rapid Restoration has broken down the spectrum of unfortunate sewage maintenance a Minneapolis homeowner can expect to deal with in their lifetime:
-
Clean Water – This is the “not bad at all” kind of backup. It’s clean. Clean water typically comes from a water supply line or a leaking faucet. It’s not as dangerous as the other stuff that can come out of a backed-up pipe, but Rapid Restoration says it’s still important to clean it up as quickly as possible. Pools of clean water can still do a lot of damage to your home.
-
Gray Water – Now we’re getting into the smelly stuff. Gray water carries many things that can make you sick, like bacteria, bugs, and viruses. Rapid Restoration says you’re likely to run into gray water when backup from washing machines, toilets, and dishwashers spill into your home. The company recommends you call a professional to remove it because if you miss anything, you might get mold.
-
Black Water – This is the truly nasty sewage! If you have a gray water backup and don’t clean it up properly, it could turn into black water. This stuff is super toxic and can cause severe illness. It often comes from flooding rivers or streams. Rapid Restoration HIGHLY recommends you let a professional deal with black water. Black water also comes from toilet traps, toilet bowls with feces, and standing water that microbes have begun to grow inside.
Your pipes are backing up—who do you call?
Time to pull that sewer operations hotline number off your fridge. The city of Minneapolis is standing by, ready to help you stop sewage from backing up into your house.
The city advises residents to call its hotline anytime they have a sewage backup. The city will send a crew to help for free. If the backup was caused by a blockage in the city’s sewer pipe, its employees will fix it.
If the blockage is in your pipes, you may have to hire a drain cleaning service to resolve the issue. You can file a claim for damages if you believe your backup was the city’s fault. Generally, insurance companies will work out who is responsible.
The city says most backups are caused by a clog in a resident's sanitary lateral pipes. They can also be caused by poorly maintained sanitary sewer pipes, changes in the natural environment, like the ground moving, or higher than normal rainfall amounts. Misusing the sewer system in a resident's home is another common cause of backups.
Sewer gas
One more thing to look for is sewer gas or hydrogen sulfide buildup. Your nose will let you know if you have a problem.
Sewer gas is only irritating at first, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It gives off a strong smell like rotten eggs. It may hurt your eyes and make it hard for you to breathe. A severe buildup can cause apnea, coma, convulsions, dizziness, headache, weakness, irritability, insomnia, and stomach discomfort.
You can easily keep sewer gas out of your basement by pouring buckets of water down your floor drains periodically. Also, use all of your plumbing fixtures regularly, so the water stays in the “P” traps, and check stack vents on your roof to ensure they’re not blocked by leaves, ice, snow, or debris.
Be vigilant, make prevention your routine, and you’re less likely to deal with these nasty smells or gross sewage backups.
We buy houses in all sorts of conditions.
If your house has already fought and lost a fight with backed-up pipes, you may not have to spend money on repairs. We are a national network of independently-owned and operated home buyer franchises.
We can look at your house and maybe make you a cash offer to buy it. The beauty of our model is that we buy fast and we buy houses “as is” so you don’t have to worry about fixing anything.
So give We Buy Ugly Houses® Minneapolis a call at 866-200-6475 if you’d rather sell your house than fix sewage damage.
