Concord Sewage Clean Up

The first picture is of a Concord, North Carolina commercial sewer cleanup job. one of the most extreme we have seen, hopefully your situation is not as bad. In any sewer or septic clean up the first thing you should do is contact a Concord sewage clean up expert. Not only is cleaning up sewage a nasty smelly job but it can be dangerous to your health. Professionals have industrial equipment and years of experience working with hazardous liquids.

The second photo is of a commercial demolition job in Concord where apparently the main sewer line was broken by a Bobcat tractor. The machine is still under all of that sewage. You can see the fuel and oil from the machine floating on the surface. I am sure it smells worse than it looks.

The last photo is not a flood but a sewer line break. A 14 ½ miles long main sewer line was broken and all the sewage from about 150 homes ended up all around this low sitting home. Can you imagine the horror?

1. Turn off your utilities and evacuate the house.

2. Contact a sewage clean up professional.

3. Take photos and document the damage.

4. Contact your insurance company if the damage is severe.

The most important thing when dealing with any type of flood, sewer, fire or water damage is to act quickly. The longer that standing water or moisture is in your home the better chance you have of developing a mold problem. As hazardous as sewage is, it pales in comparison to toxic mold which is extremely hazardous to people.

This is what Wikipedia says about toxic mold. “Some molds, called "toxigenic molds", produce mycotoxins, which in high enough doses, can be beneficial or detrimental to human health. A common mycotoxin known to the general population of most western societies is penicillin. Extreme exposure to very high levels of mycotoxins can lead to neurological problems and in some cases death; fortunately, such exposures rarely to never occur in normal exposure scenarios, even in residences with serious mold problems. Prolonged exposure, e.g. daily workplace exposure, can be particularly harmful. The health hazards produced by mold have been associated with sick building syndrome, but no validated studies have been able to demonstrate that normal indoor exposures to these common organisms pose a significant threat.”

A sewage clean up can be very expensive, a mold remediation can be even more expensive. This can be avoided if the water and moisture is removed quickly. Attempting to rent equipment can be done for a small water cleanup but anytime raw sewage is involved I highly recommend hiring a professional. If wall and ceilings have been soaked you will never get them dry enough with fans and shop vac to avoid mold growth. Keep in mind this is your families health at risk. Not a good time to pinch pennies, call a pro.

The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).  Community participation in the program is voluntary.  A community is an incorportated city, town, or part of a county that has a floodplain management ordinance and enforces the ordinance.  When a community participates in the NFIP, flood insurance is made available from the NFIP.  In addition, if the President declares a disaster as a result of flooding, federal financial assistance is made available for the permanent repair or reconstruction of insurable buildings.  For proof that Concord participates in the National Flood Insurance Program, please see the National Flood Insurance Program Community Status Book.

Background:

The City of Concord is located in the Yadkin River Basin and is bisected by a river (Rocky River) and four major creeks and streams that all flow in a southeasterly direction. The major creeks are: Coddle Creek, Irish Buffalo Creek, Three Mile Branch and Cold Water Creek. In addition to these creeks there are several smaller creeks and bodies of water that feed into them. The four major creeks converge into Rocky River, south of the city limits.

The floodways and floodplains in Concord are all adjacent to these major streams. Concord contains 5.576 square miles of floodplain, which is 9.28% of the total city area of 60.042 square miles. Of this floodplain area, 2.053 square miles is in the unbuildable floodway, which leaves only 3.523 square miles (5.86% of the total city’s area) in the remaining floodplain.

Based on the City’s FEMA Floodplain Biennial Report of 2009, 33 structures are located inside flood hazard areas, of which 13 are single-family up to four-family structures (i.e. 1-4 family structures). The population of these 13 structures is estimated to be 34. In total, the City contains 22986 1-4 family structures, so approximately 0.05% of 1-4 family structures are located in flood hazard areas. The City of Concord’s Development Services Department implements the ordinances and regulations of the floodway and flood plain.

Flooding can present a serious threat to properties located in and along the flood hazard areas. Flood incidents generally affect road crossings that are subject to high water levels, and occasionally some structures are affected. According to FEMA records, Concord does not have any repetitive loss structures. The Insurance Service Office (ISO) has given Concord a rating of 8.