Water Contamination Issues After Flood Damage in Taunton

1/24/2020 (Permalink)

We are available 24/7. Call the experts at (508) 824-0200.

You should always have a plan for when your Taunton home floods

Perhaps one of the most distressing concerns for Taunton residents suffering from the flooding is water contamination. Supply line breaks and overflowing tubs are emergencies, but the water is typically clean, and secondary damage is rare if extraction and drying are swift. Hundreds of gallons of water from drain backups or overland flooding after a storm add significant hazards to the fluid buildup, and professional removal and drying must include management of these dangerous substances.

Flood Waters Are by Definition Category 3

The flood damage to your Taunton residence requires an approach that contains the affected spaces and water collected. If heavy rains overwhelm storm sewers, the main waste pipe from your house can push human and animal blood and feces-borne pathogens into your home. Often at the same time, flooding from paved areas and the ground seeps through your foundation walls into the basement or lower level of your home. Landscaping and roadway chemicals and industrial waste make their way inside. Category 3 water is the most contaminated, and best practices prescribe caution and personal protective equipment when handling.

Flood Water Disposal Limited by Local Regulation

SERVPRO trains and keeps up to date on current requirements for appropriate disposal of hazardous waste, including floodwater. We obtain any necessary permits and complete forms or other paperwork to avoid official sanctions at this already stressful time.

Containment Within Your Home

As SERVPRO technicians work to pump and extract flood water, we guard against spreading contaminants into other areas of your home. Before work commences, we often broadcast-spray an EPA-registered disinfectant over the surfaces to reduce the pathogen load. Because pumping and extraction activities can cause some vaporization of the dirty water, we consider sealing off the work area with a negative pressure air scrubbing system. The system captures airborne debris in HEPA filters and then exhausts to the outdoors. Living areas outside of the workspace are thus protected. After the space is free of liquid water, we disinfect again and continue the containment during structural drying when the air movement and accelerated vaporization otherwise could send contaminants into the rest of your home.

Count on SERVPRO of Taunton/Mansfield to manage even heavily contaminated floodwaters safely and lawfully. Call us as soon as the flooding is evident at (508) 824-0200. We’re Faster To Any Size Disaster.

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