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Sewage / Bacteria Testing and Inspection

What is Sewage?

Sewage is water-carried waste usually in a solution or suspension form mostly known as wastewater.

Wastewater from sewage pumps in residential and commercial buildings carry body waste (usually feces, urine, and semen) and bacteria throughout vast plumbing systems into sewer systems plants where it is treated and disposed of. 

Sewage backups are very common in residential and commercial buildings where a blockage of waste is stopped causing sewage to backflow up from drains, cleanouts, showers, and toilets.

When water is used, it becomes wastewater. Wastewater is classified in three different ways, each of which shows a different level of water contamination: 

  • Category I Clean Water: This first category refers to clean water that does not contain any contaminants. It refers to wastewater that has come from toilet tanks, appliances that have broken down, water lines that have broken, rainwater, and water from melting snow. This water is initially free from anything that could contaminate it, but it can sometimes turn into the second category once it has been exposed. 

  • Category II Gray Water: The second category is known as gray water. This is the water that comes from or is discharged from appliances like washing machines, dishwashers, sinks, showers, and even things like waterbeds or hot tubs. This can pose a potential risk to health as it can have biological or chemical contamination. The longer it is left without removal or treatment, the worse it becomes. In as little as two days it can turn into the most serious category.

  • Category III Blackwater: The third and final category is known as Blackwater. This is the name for wastewater that comes from broken sewer pipes, septic tanks, or leaking and broken bathroom appliances and toilets. It can also occur in floodwater. Blackwater will almost always be a contaminant risk.

What to do if you have a sewage backup

If a sewage or wastewater backup is suspected there are a number of ways you can tell. For instance, have you noticed a sewage smell in the house, a sewage smell in the bathroom, near the toilet, or anywhere where there is water in your home or commercial building? If so, you may have an issue with wastewater that needs help from professionals like MSE Environmental. 

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The plumbing and wastewater systems in homes and businesses will always provide you with clean water for cooking, drinking, and washing. Ninety-nine percent of the time it does so cleanly and effectively without any issues. However, when something goes wrong with it, it can end up causing many problems - from damage to your property to severe health concerns. Issues such as:

  • Sewage backups

  • Water intrusion

  • Severe flooding

  • Leaking sewer pipes

  • Septic tank leakage

Can occasionally lead to sewage contamination of living spaces. Sewage problems can be sorted quickly, effectively, and with minimum fuss by contacting a professional sewage and bacteria testing company that can carry out primary sewage treatment and secondary sewage treatment as required. 

Raw sewage can sometimes, unfortunately, come into contact with private and public water supplies and when it does it can create exposure to fecal matter, or allow it to transfer into the water system. If sewage becomes backed up or is allowed to overflow it can release disease-causing germs, bacteria, and organisms. 

Some homes and properties that still rely on septic tanks can occasionally find that if they are not properly maintained and looked after they can end up polluting private well systems. 

Sewage going to the sea

It’s important to make sure that any issues that arise with sewage and wastewater are dealt with safely, professionally, and quickly so that there is no danger to health or life. 

One of the first steps in dealing with sewage problems is to undertake sewage contamination testing. There are many different types of germ and bacteria that are present in such material and all have the potential to cause illness if left unchecked. The following are the most well known: 

  • Campylobacter

  • Cryptosporidium

  • E Coli

  • Giardia

  • Salmonella

  • Shigella

If you’ve been exposed to sewage through contaminated wastewater then you could experience any of the following illnesses/side effects:

  • Headaches

  • Fever

  • Stomach cramping

  • Diarrhea

  • Vomiting

Whilst most people will recover very swiftly with rest and rehydration therapy, there are some people who may require hospitalization for their condition. The sooner sewage contamination is identified and diagnosed, the quicker anyone affected will begin to recover, and a thorough sewage clean-up can begin. 

We can assist you with all issues relating to sewage and bacteria infection testing. We provide sampling on-site, quick and reliable results, and a fast and safe resolution. This is especially important when there is an increased risk of any threat to health and life. 

We will even assist you with a post-remediation assessment to make sure that our work has been carried out to the highest standard and that no trace of contamination remains.

MSE Environmental Sewage/Bacteria Investigation Process

MSE Environmental Sewage investigation Process
  • Inspection & Assessment & Classification.

  • Pre Testing & Sampling.

  • Post Remediation Verification & Clearance Testing (PRV).

  • Inspections & Assessment.

  • Testing & Sampling - E-coli/Coliforms.

  • Remediation Scope of Work & Protocol Design.

  • Remediation Project Oversight.

We provide reliable, professional, and trustworthy sewage and bacteria inspection services so you can be sure your home or commercial building is safe, clean, and healthy to live and work in. If you’re worried about contamination from wastewater and sewage in your property then please call us. We’d be happy to talk you through our services. 

Contact us today for a quote on our sewage and bacteria testing inspection services.

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