In this series of videos, NDSU Extension area specialist Daniel Waldstein shares tips for cleaning out a flood damaged home, as he cleans his own home after the 2011 Minot, ND flood.
Flood Damaged Home: Introduction
Flood Damaged Home: Where To Start
Flood Damaged Home: Tools & Equipment
Flood Damaged Home: How To Remove Flooring
Flood Damaged Home: Basement Work
Flood Damaged Home: How To Efficiently Remove Waste
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More videos in this series:
>>> Flood Damaged Home: Introduction
Flood Damaged Home: Where To Start
Flood Damaged Home: Tools & Equipment
Flood Damaged Home: How To Remove Flooring
Flood Damaged Home: Basement Work
Flood Damaged Home: How To Efficiently Remove Waste
]]>
More videos in this series:
Flood Damaged Home: Introduction
>>> Flood Damaged Home: Where To Start
Flood Damaged Home: Tools & Equipment
Flood Damaged Home: How To Remove Flooring
Flood Damaged Home: Basement Work
Flood Damaged Home: How To Efficiently Remove Waste
]]>
More videos in this series:
Flood Damaged Home: Introduction
Flood Damaged Home: Where To Start
>>> Flood Damaged Home: Tools & Equipment
Flood Damaged Home: How To Remove Flooring
Flood Damaged Home: Basement Work
Flood Damaged Home: How To Efficiently Remove Waste
]]>
More videos in this series:
Flood Damaged Home: Introduction
Flood Damaged Home: Where To Start
Flood Damaged Home: Tools & Equipment
>>> Flood Damaged Home: How To Remove Flooring
Flood Damaged Home: Basement Work
Flood Damaged Home: How To Efficiently Remove Waste
]]>
More videos in this series:
Flood Damaged Home: Introduction
Flood Damaged Home: Where To Start
Flood Damaged Home: Tools & Equipment
Flood Damaged Home: How To Remove Flooring
>>> Flood Damaged Home: Basement Work
Flood Damaged Home: How To Efficiently Remove Waste
]]>
More videos in this series:
Flood Damaged Home: Introduction
Flood Damaged Home: Where To Start
Flood Damaged Home: Tools & Equipment
Flood Damaged Home: How To Remove Flooring
Flood Damaged Home: Basement Work
>>> Flood Damaged Home: How To Efficiently Remove Waste
]]>
More videos in this series:
Flood Damaged Home: Introduction
Flood Damaged Home: Where To Start
Flood Damaged Home: Tools & Equipment
Flood Damaged Home: How To Remove Flooring
Flood Damaged Home: Basement Work
Flood Damaged Home: How To Efficiently Remove Waste
>>> Flood Damaged Home: How To Separate Waste
]]>
More videos in this series:
Flood Damaged Home: Introduction
Flood Damaged Home: Where To Start
Flood Damaged Home: Tools & Equipment
Flood Damaged Home: How To Remove Flooring
Flood Damaged Home: Basement Work
Flood Damaged Home: How To Efficiently Remove Waste
Flood Damaged Home: How To Separate Waste
>>> Flood Damaged Home: Cleaning After the Flood
]]>Chlorine bleach is a common household chemical with unique properties that make it useful in flood cleanup and recovery activities.
Essentially, chlorine bleach is a diluted mixture of water and sodium hypochlorite. Typically, it is sold over the counter as a laundering and cleaning solution with concentrations of sodium hypochlorite ranging from 4 to 6 percent. It also is sold as a sanitizing and/or disinfecting agent and may have concentrations ranging from 4 to as high as 9 percent.
Sodium hypochlorite, the active ingredient in chlorine bleach, is a very powerful oxidizer. Oxidation reactions are corrosive, and solutions burn skin and cause irreversible eye damage, particularly when used in concentrated forms. Thus, users must take a number of precautions to avoid personal injury when working with bleach.
When handling relatively concentrated chlorine bleach right out of the container, always:
When working with bleach diluted with water and/or soap, remember to:
Continue to protect your eyes and skin by keeping them covered.
Make sure the area you are working in is very well-ventilated. If possible, use fans to exchange inside air with outdoor air and leave windows or doors open for the maximum dissipation of vapors.
Wash your hands vigorously with mild soap and water before you use the bathroom, eat, smoke or use smokeless tobacco.
Shower and wash yourself thoroughly with soap and shampoo at the end of the day.
These are some additional issues to consider when working with bleach:
It will fade colors in clothes and slowly break down cloth fibers.
It is corrosive to bare metals.
Vapors can cause people who have compromised respiratory systems (for example, those who suffer from asthma, allergies and/or COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)) to experience serious discomfort or even acute distress that may require medical attention.
A toxic gas will be released if bleach is mixed with other cleaning agents, especially ammonia. An explosion can occur if sufficient quantities are mixed.
Follow all applicable safety precautions
and use the instructions on the product label.
32-page PDF of NDSU Extension publication Individual Home Sewage Treatment Systems
After water recedes, don’t be in a hurry to start using septic systems. The drainfield especially needs time to dry out to some degree before it can be used.
A septic system has three main components:
Household water flows from the house sewer system into the septic tank then out to the drainfield. Any situation that prevents or slows down the flow of water through the septic system can cause problems. Sometimes water will back up into the house, drains in the house may run slowly or not at all, and toilets may not flush properly.
Don’t pump excess water from the septic tank onto the ground. This violates the North Dakota state plumbing code and poses a health hazard because children and pets can run through it or it can flow into a waterway. Waterborne diseases are the most lethal and spread from person to person quickly.
When a septic tank is inundated, water will leak in through any opening, such as the manhole cover, the inlet/outlet pipes or the tank cover, and fill the tank with groundwater that may carry soil and silt. Floating waste already present in the tank in the form of scum will rise and could plug both the inlet and outlet pipes. In addition, water from the flooded drainfield may flow into the septic tank.
First, have some knowledge of where your septic tank and drainfield are located on your property. If you don’t know, contact your local health district office. They may have installation information concerning your septic system in their files. Know the depth to the top of the septic tank and depth of the drainfield. Measure the depth to the top of the septic tank by probing with a pointed metal rod. Most are within 2 to 3 feet of the ground surface.
Next, look for signs of visible damage near the septic tank and drainfield. Holes in the ground or soil settling are the most common indicators. If you see any indications of damage, have your system inspected by a licensed professional. Avoid working around the drainfield or septic tank with heavy machinery while the soil is still saturated.
Check the depth to the groundwater near the septic tank and near the drainfield. Do this by using a soil probe or digging a hole with an auger within 10 feet of the septic tank and about 20 feet away from the drainfield. If the water table is still above the top of the septic tank, then do not have the tank pumped and do not use the septic system. If the water table is at least 3 feet below the top of the septic tank but the drainfield is still flooded or saturated, then you may use your septic tank as a holding tank. Have it commercially pumped, but don't pump out more than half the volume of the tank. Removing more than half the contents could cause the tank to try to float out of the ground and damage the inlet or outlet pipes. While pumping, water may flow into the tank from both the house and drainfield. Make sure the pumper checks that the outlet pipe is not plugged.
Except for mound systems, most drainfields are 2 to 4 feet below ground surface. It will take time for the groundwater to recede to the level of the bottom of the drainfield. This could happen within a week or two, or require a couple months. Therefore, to prevent damage to the drainfield, monitor the depth to the water table near the drainfield.
Septic systems that use some type of mound for infiltrating wastewater commonly have a lift station in addition to the septic tank. If the electrical control box was flooded, make sure power is turned off, open the cover and dry it out, but before turning it on, have a licensed electrician look at the components to make sure they safe. If the pumping chamber is separate from the septic tank, have that pumped out when the septic tank is pumped. Since most of the mound is located above ground surface, it will generally dry out faster than an in-ground drainfield. However, you still need to check the depth to water table near the mound. If it is at least a foot below ground level, then you may use the septic system if the septic tank and/or pump chamber have been pumped out.
When you determine you can use the septic system again, help it out by reducing water use in the house. Make sure there are no leaking fixtures in the house. A drop of water every 15 seconds can add up to a lot of additional water added to the septic system. Check faucets, showerheads, toilets, sinks and any other water-using device for leaks, and repair them as soon as possible.
Don't put the water from a basement sump pump into the septic system. Don't let water from roof gutters or from the sump pump discharge into the drainfield area.
Reduce the number of times you flush the toilet, wash clothes at a laundromat, reduce the number of showers and/or baths each day and only run the dishwasher when it is full.
Common sense is the key to reducing water use in the house and helping your septic system. The drainfield was designed to infiltrate the amount of water normally discharged from the house. When the water table is high in the drainfield, the ability to handle household water becomes limited.
If, after the water table has gone down, you have problems with the household plumbing not working, some damage may have occurred to the drainfield or septic tank. High groundwater can cause shifting or settling, which can affect both the septic tank and the distribution system in drainfield. The shifting can cause the inlet and outlets from the septic tank to become partially blocked. Also, the inlet or outlet pipes could be blocked due to solids from the tank. In these cases, contact a licensed septic tank pumper or septic system installer.
Sewage contains pathogens that are harmful to people, so using personal protective equipment (PPE) is critical. Recommended PPE includes a HEPA-rated respirator/mask, rubber gloves, eye protection and protective suit.
Water and organic matter should be physically removed using shovels and wet vacuums or other water removal methods. After each use, all tools and equipment must be cleaned and decontaminated.
All porous materials exposed to the sewage must be discarded. They cannot be adequately cleaned. This includes carpet and carpet padding. Draperies should be professionally cleaned. Notify the cleaner of the problem. Clothes may be laundered with chlorine bleach or professionally cleaned.
Water and organic matter that can be removed using shovels and wet vacuums or other removal methods, in addition to the porous materials that are removed and discarded are considered the heavy contaminants.
After removing these heavy contaminants, thoroughly clean remaining materials. Clean non-porous and semi-porous materials using detergents and normal cleaning procedures. Do not mix products. For example, ammonia and chlorine bleach when combined produce a very toxic gas. A two-bucket approach is most efficient. Use one bucket for the cleaning solution and the other for the rinse water. After using the cleaning solution, rinse your mop, sponge or cleaning cloth in the rinse bucket. Wring it dry. Re-wet your mop in the cleaning solution. Using two buckets keeps most of the dirty rinse water out of your cleaning solution. Replace the rinse water frequently.
After thorough cleaning, use a biocide, such as chlorine bleach, to destroy any remaining bacteria. Biocides are rendered ineffective by organic material, so meticulous cleaning is needed prior to a biocide application for the biocide to be effective. Use only biocides approved for the specific material and application. Assure that the biocide is labeled with an EPA registration number as a disinfectant. Follow the label on the biocide for concentration, contact time and safety guidelines. One option is wiping or spraying surfaces with a solution of ¾ cup of chlorine bleach per gallon of water and applying enough solution to keep the surface damp for at least five minutes. Refer to the label on the bleach container.
If sewage-contaminated water has seeped under the floor covering, the floor covering needs to be removed, even if the covering is not absorbent material. The subfloor needs to cleaned, dried and sealed prior to installing a new floor covering.
The structure should be dried rapidly to limit the potential for mold growth. No reconstruction should occur until wood is at less than 15 percent moisture or moisture content specified by the floor covering manufacturer. Other materials need to have dried to a low enough moisture content to prevent mold growth.
]]>Reference: IICRC S500 Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Water Damage Restoration; Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification, 2nd Edition 1999.
A water table above the basement floor causes water to continually seek ways to enter the basement. A drainage envelope created by drain tile or pipe in porous, granular material will intercept that water and direct it to a sump, where it can be pumped outdoors. Water will enter the basement at the connection between the wall and floor and through cracks in the floor if the drainage envelope does not exist or is not functioning. Sometimes water also will come through cracks in the wall, but generally that occurs due to water infiltrating the ground from above.
Mold growth, which is a health hazard, is a concern any time high humidity or damp materials exist. Wet or damp materials will mold in one to three days, depending on temperature. Mold spores, which are like mold “seeds,” are in the air everywhere, so the only method to prevent mold growth is to keep things dry or to remove them from the damp area. Remove porous materials such as cardboard boxes, papers, carpet, rugs and clothes to keep them from becoming moldy. Chlorine bleach is a biocide that will kill existing mold, but it does not prevent future mold growth. Mold must be removed, not just killed, to eliminate the health hazard.
Many wall coverings are porous and will not only absorb water, but will wick the water above the water level. Gypsum board or drywall (Sheetrock) is very absorbent and will wick water up a wall. Remove or cut the gypsum board so none of it will be in the water. Mold grows readily on the paper of gypsum board, so controlling the humidity level in the basement is critical to minimize mold growth. Many paneling materials also are absorbent, so again cut the paneling to above the water level. If the water level is shallow, the wall can be repaired by using a tall baseboard.
Purchase a humidity gauge, and keep the humidity below 70 percent. A dehumidifier will remove some water from the air. Ventilating with dry outdoor air also will reduce the humidity level. Providing both an opening for air to enter and exit is critical. Open at least two windows for cross-ventilation. Using a fan facing to the outdoors will assist with moving dry outside air through the basement. Use fans to circulate dry air across damp surfaces to help the material dry. Isolate the basement from the rest of the house to limit humidity from the basement entering the rest of the house.
Remove water from the basement by channeling the water to floor drains or by using a skimmer pump or wet vac. Water will continue to enter the basement as long as the water table is high, so the goal is to control the water flow rather than eliminate it. Generally, the water cannot be stopped from entering the basement with products placed inside the basement because of the external water pressure.
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