If you’ve ever heard of black water, you know it’s dangerous – but what is it, and what happens if you ignore it on your own property?
What is Black Water?
Black water is a form of wastewater that’s teeming with bacteria, viruses and other microbes that could be extremely hazardous to your – and your family’s – health. It can even contain large amounts of pharmaceuticals, grease, oils and pathogens (disease-causing organisms).
It’s commonly called sewage, because that’s exactly what it is.
What’s in Black Water?
Black water is exceptionally dangerous. It can contain:
- Campylobacter, which causes camplylobacteriosis
- Cryptosporidium, which causes crypto
- E. coli
- Giardia, which causes giardiasis
- Hepatitis A
- Leptospira, which causes leptospirosis
- Polio
- Salmonella (including the kind that causes typhoid)
- Shigella, which causes shigellosis
- Yersinia enterocolitica, which causes yersiniosis
Should You Handle Black Water Yourself?
You should never attempt to clean up a black water backup yourself. It’s something you should leave to a professional sewage cleanup service. Professionals have the appropriate certifications and credentials to handle hazardous materials like black water, and they have the personal protective equipment, or PPE, to do it safely. If you attempt to clean up black water yourself, you’re taking a serious risk with your own health – and your family’s health.
Even if black water has receded and items that were once wet are beginning to dry out, the bacteria, viruses and microbes can stick around for a long time, which means you shouldn’t handle them before they’re completely sanitized and disinfected.
Do You Need Help With Sewer Cleanup?
ExactRecon can help you get your home or business back to its original condition after a sewer backup or contamination with clean, gray or black water.
We provide several damage restoration services, including fire, smoke and soot restoration services, as well as water damage restoration services in Ann Arbor and all the surrounding communities that can help you and your family get back on track.
Call us at 517-262-3770 or get in touch with us online today.
