Extended record breaking cold temperatures during February, 2015 resulted in an epidemic of water supply lines freezing and bursting in homes and commercial buildings across the region. For much of February and into March, Property Recovery 911 crews worked long hours on emergency water mitigation jobs in Philadelphia and the surrounding suburbs. We acquired additional equipment and added staff in order to keep pace with the onslaught of flood restoration projects that we were awarded during this period.
Flooded Basement
Property Recovery 911 was contacted by a homeowner early one Saturday morning to clean up and dry out a flooded basement resulting from a failed refrigerator water supply line. In this instance, the refrigerator was being supplied by ¼” OD polyethylene tubing, a product that has been the source of countless flood restoration jobs. To avoid dealing with flood clean up services, refrigerators that are supplied water through ¼” polyethylene or copper tubing fed by a saddle tap valve should be proactively replaced with a braided stainless steel ‘no leak’ line and a high quality shutoff valve. Saddle tap valves offer restricted water flow that have been known to burn out water pumps serving a refrigerators water dispenser and ¼” polyethylene as well as copper tubing are notorious for a propensity to leak resulting in a flooded basement requiring a flood restoration.
Sewage Spill Cleanup
Property Recovery 911 was contacted by a homeowner who was referred to us by a Chubb Insurance agency for a sewage spill cleanup. Located in the Penn Valley section of Montgomery County Pennsylvania, the homes soil line was clogged for an indeterminate period of time as the elderly occupants rarely accessed the basement. Ongoing use of the drainage system resulted in an extensive raw sewage spill erupting from the air conditioning condensate drain every time the plumbing was used. Once discovered, drain cleaners were enlisted to remove the blockage and Property Recovery 911 technicians were immediately dispatched to perform professional sewage removal, including sewage spill cleanup as well as disinfecting and cleaning the entire area.
Water Damage Category & Class
The IICRC (Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification), an organization that determines standards for water damage restoration, identified and differentiated categories of water and classes of water damage. Listed in the IICRC’s S500 standards, there are three categories water.
This flood restoration job was classified as Class 3, Category 3 water damage. Class 3 denoting flooding from above, which saturated the ceiling, walls and flooring below. Category 3, signifies that the water was grossly contaminated and possibly highly toxic. Category 3 Water, may contain raw sewage, pesticides, heavy metals or toxic organic substances. Immediate water damage restoration in this instance is essential to the health and well being of the occupants.
Residential water mitigation job in a West Philadelphia. Plumbing supply line failed causing water damage that poured from the second floor through the first and resulting in a basement flooding. Property Recovery 911 was awarded this job after one of our competitors failed to deliver. We reached our dry standard successfully in 3 days.
Sewage Spill - Cause
Property Recovery 911 was contacted by the homeowner for sewage clean up caused by new a waste line that was improperly installed.
Waste Water Clean Up - Demolition
After the necessary repairs to the waste line was completed, the sewage clean up started with the removal and proper disposal of all of the building materials that came into contact with the raw sewage spill. This included cutting away carpet, carpet pad, and drywall.