Sewer flooding is the most unpleasant thing our customers can experience and we make responding to it our top priority. Thankfully these incidents are infrequent.
If your business is empty or unoccupied, make sure you check if there has been any flooding as soon as safely possible.
Always stay safe
- Where possible do not walk through flood waters.
- Flood waters can contain dilute sewage if the sewer network has been inundated and surcharged. There could also be other risks such as syringes etc.
- Manhole covers may have been displaced in flooded areas which members of the public could fall down causing a risk of injury and drowning. They may not be visible in flooded areas.
- The public should not attempt to unblock sewers themselves. They will put themselves at risk and could aggravate the situation. They should wait and allow our trained technicians who possess the correct equipment to deal with the situation.
- If customers see anything that looks unsafe they should contact us immediately.
What you need to do
- If the problem is one for you (or your landlord) to resolve make sure, when calling a contractor you get full understanding of the cost as these can escalate quickly when dealing with broken underground pipes.
- In all instances of flooding to your business you must make your insurance company aware, so they can start the process of getting your business back to normal.
- If you are in doubt what the cause of the problem is. Always let us know and we'll try to help.
What causes a sewer to flood?
There can be a number of causes. For example:
- The sewer is too full.
- A blocked or collapsed sewer.
- A pumping station failure.
Tree roots may cause damage to sewers, and problems may also occur as a result of unsuitable items being put into the sewer, for example wipes, fats, cotton buds, sanitary items as well as builders’ rubble.
Flooding can also occur due to circumstances out of our control as a result of exceptional rainfall, rivers overflowing or internal plumbing issues.
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