[ Home •  About Us • Residential • Commercial • Prevention • Hints • Schedule Job  • Career  • Contact  ]

What are the dangers of drain and sewer back-ups?

Primary problems stemming from the defective functioning of a sewer system, include serious health risks to humans caused by direct exposure to raw sewage and the great possibility of contaminating water supplies. A malfunctioning sewer system can also cause raw sewage to back up into plumbing fixtures and become present in a dwelling. Once this waste is exposed, the possibility of humans contracting any number of diseases is greatly multiplied. This is particularly true of children who do not yet understand the dangers of raw sewage.

Common Diseases Capable of Transmission from Sewage

• Cholera Profuse watery stools, vomiting, rapid dehydration; if untreated may produce fatality rate of 50% plus.
• Cryptosporidiosis More than 400,000 cases reported in one outbreak from contaminated drinking water; profuse diarrhea with mild nausea & vomiting.
• Shigellosis Bloody diarrhea, cramps, vomiting; the severity of the illness and the possibility of death depend on the host.
• Typhoid Prolonged fever, headaches, nausea, diarrhea; fatality rate as high as 10%, if untreated.
• Infectious Hepatitis Fever, fatigue, headache, nausea, dark urine & jaundice; can impair liver function.
• Amebiasis Fever, chills & bloody diarrhea; may also produce abscess of liver, lungs & brain.

The HIV virus has recently been detected in the raw wastewater of two communities. HIV appears capable of surviving for 2-3 days in raw sewage at room temperature, but may survive for more than 2 weeks in raw sewage at lower temperatures. Although the HIV virus may be found in raw sewage, the risk of becoming infected seems highly unlikely. Transmission would require puncture of the skin or contact with cuts or other damaged skin tissue.