How Serious Is the Risk of Significant Contamination from Flood Damage in Simsbury?

8/6/2020 (Permalink)

We understand how seriously water damage can affect your home. Don't wait, call us right away at (860) 675-4500.

Storm-Related Flood Damage Is a Leading Cause of Residential Contamination from a Broad Range of Hazardous Substances and Infectious Agents -- SERVPRO Trains and Equips Crews for This Challenge.

Is flood damage merely an inconvenience, or a potential health hazard in your Simsbury home? Although rainwater seems as though it would not pose very many contamination issues on its own, of course, things are rarely that simple. The rainwater does not enter your home untainted. It has flowed over streets and sidewalks. Industrial waste and lawn chemicals also hitch a ride. Significant quantities of mud, silt, and other debris, including dead animals, organic matter, and more thicken the mix as it approaches your home.

Do I Need to Worry About Sewage as Part of Flood Damage?

As the municipal curb and gutter systems become overwhelmed in Simsbury, flood damage can also include infectious waste. Some might be picked up by overland flooding outside your home as the sewer system discharges overflow in the streets. A sewer backup into your home can complicate matters substantially if the public sewer pressure pushes infectious waste inside. Suddenly the benign wash of rainwater rising in your lower levels becomes a concerning and almost catastrophic situation.  

What Credentials Should I Seek In a Company That Offers Contaminated Flood Water Cleanup?

SERVPRO ensures your confidence by earning the certifications and obtaining the licenses needed to remove, collect, and dispose of contaminated floodwaters lawfully. Our managers and technicians master coursework from the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification (IICRC) on water removal for restoration companies, including infected fluids. The IICRC is an international restoration industry-standard development organization. The training and recommendations provided by the IICRC are science-based, evolving as new treatments and technologies arise.

How Do Trained Technicians Manage Contaminated Flood Water Debris?

Putting their training to good use, our project managers assess the specific circumstances of your flood water crisis. If we discover significant quantities of solid debris, we start by “mucking-out” the flooded areas. This involves:

• Wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) for our workers to protect from skin contact with and inhalation of infective, corrosive, or otherwise harmful substances
• Shoveling dirt, mud, and a wide range of organic and inorganic debris until water extraction equipment can run without clogging
• Containing the debris and arranging for lawful disposal as hazardous waste

What Are the Steps for Removing the Flood Water Itself?

Once the bulk of the debris is loaded out of the affected area, we begin the flood water extraction:

• We position submersible pumps in areas where the fluids are deeper than two inches and discard the waste into a treated sewer line
• Truck-mounted extractors pull vast quantities of water out and contain up to 100 gallons in onboard tanks for appropriate disposal
• Trained technicians check with infrared imaging and moisture detectors to locate any hidden water caches

We plan for the release of this trapped water, using:

• Portable extractors with wand extenders
• Controlled demolition to open drain holes or sections of wall materials to access the water and improve drying outcomes:
• Drilled holes in mortar joints in masonry or cinder block construction
• Sawn holes at the bottom of walls for water release and insert hoses for suction or positive pressurized warm air
• Flood cuts that saw from stud to stud several inches above the flood line

Do Flood Damage Restoration Companies Apply Antimicrobials or Disinfectants?

Sometimes we do a broadcast spray of an EPA-registered antimicrobial in a flooded space to reduce the airborne load of infectious agents during the water removal phase. Research indicates that merely spraying a biocide is inadequate to eradicate contamination by biohazards. It is instead recommended that restorers use EPA-registered cleaners on soiled surfaces. Then we apply disinfectants to inhibit regrowth before the structural drying. 

Is It Necessary to Take Active Drying Steps as a Windup to Flood Damage Work?

Depending on wet structural components to dry out on their own is inadvisable, even after treatment with antimicrobials, the surfaces and building cavities suffering from flood damage risk continuing deterioration from the water and mold or other pathogen growth if excess moisture remains 24 to 48 hours or longer. We always include a drying plan in a flood damage project, using high-efficiency air movers, heaters, and dehumidifiers to strike the needed balance to facilitate evaporation of floodwater locked inside porous building materials.

When you struggle with muck, debris, and contaminated floodwater, SERVPRO of The Farmington Valley has the skills, tools, and experience to assist you. Rapid response helps gain the best outcome, so call (860) 675-4500 promptly.