Flooding: Information for Homeowners About Private Wells, Sewage and Clean-Up

Flooding wells should be considered contaminated and disinfected before homeowners resume using them. Wells most at risk would include water sources that are in areas where flooding has occurred and is imminent, such as drilled wells located in well pits where groundwater tables have risen in the pit above the top of the well head, and shallow wells or springs located down gradient from open pollution sources such as agricultural or animal waste run-off or nearby septic systems.  Other indicators of pollution may include water discoloration or unusual taste or odor to your private water supply.

Learn about disinfecting procedures for private wells: Disinfection Procedures for Private Wells

For more information about private wells, flooding and the disinfection of wells, please visit the DPH Private Well Program website at www.ct.gov/dph/privatewells or call (860) 509-7296.

For Residences with Public Water Systems
Public water systems are encouraged to frequently inspect their water sources during storm events to determine if there may be conditions present that would make them vulnerable to pollution and possible contamination. If these conditions are present, water sampling is encouraged. Any unusual aesthetic changes to the water (color, taste or odor) should be reported to the DPH Drinking Water Section (DWS) and precautionary measures such as the use of bottled water for drinking and cooking are recommended until water testing can determine if contamination is present in the water supply. 

The DWS can provide assistance in recommending the appropriate types of water testing for your public water system during these events. Total coliform bacteria and E. coli bacteria testing is of the most significance and are used as indicators of bacteriological contamination. The presence of E. coli bacteria indicates that the source of contamination has a fecal origin and there may be more harmful organisms present. If bacteriological contamination is present in the water supply during these storm events, public water systems should notify their consumers and encourage the use of bottled water for drinking, cooking, and other uses that may result in ingestion. Boiling rapidly for a minimum of one minute can also effectively disinfect water. Persons bathing or washing with water that has been contaminated with fecal matter also experience an increased risk to health.

Public water systems that provide water treatment including continuous disinfection (chlorine or ultraviolet light) of their water supply are encouraged to test the raw untreated water quality from each well suspected of being compromised by pollution from flooding or run-off. It may be appropriate to perform raw water testing of each water source as a precautionary measure even if there are no obvious signs of concern. Flood waters entering a well can change the quality of the water and introduce sediment, organic matter and contamination that could overwhelm a treatment system and render it ineffective as a safeguard to bacteria contamination.

In addition to wells, buried water storage tanks or other water system components can also be vulnerable to contamination. Elevated water tables can place an increased Flood and Storm Water Advisory 1 hydraulic load on concrete tanks causing seepage through joints or hairline cracks. Floodwater and run-off can seep through access hatches or vents that are not watertight or do not provide adequate protection. Operators should inventory water system components that may be vulnerable to contamination and frequent inspections of these components during the storm event are recommended.

Sewage Back-Up
Severe rainstorms, floods, and even spring thaws can put a strain on sanitary sewers and septic systems. Large volumes of storm water and ground water entering sewage systems can inundate them, causing back-ups into basements and on to private property. Blockages in sewer systems can also cause back-ups. Your health may be impacted if a sewage back-up occurs in your home. Sewage back-ups can contaminate your private drinking well water. It can also pollute surface water (lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams, and reservoirs used for drinking water). 

Can I Get Sick From A Sewage Back-Up In My House?
Sewage contains bacteria, viruses, and other germs that can cause disease and make a contaminated house unfit for living. The health risks around sewage are dependent upon the amount of sewage, the types of germs that are in it, the amount of time it has been in contact with materials in the home, and how much and how long an occupant was exposed. Generally, the more solids (human waste) present in the water, the greater the need for prompt and proper clean-up of materials that came into direct contact with it. The most common illnesses one might acquire are generally gastrointestinal (GI) distress and/or skin rashes/infections. Respiratory infections are uncommon, because fecal microorganisms rarely become airborne when everything is wet, and these bacteria and viruses generally die off after things dry out. If you experience any GI symptoms (nausea, diarrhea, vomiting) after exposure to sewage, contact your doctor.

Potential Health Effects from Contact with Raw Sewage

• Gastrointestinal illness: accidental ingestion via improperly cleaned hands or food preparation surfaces
• Skin infections and rashes: handling contaminated materials

What to Do After a Sewage Back-Up

• First Things First! Do These Things Right Away.
• If you have a back-up, do not flush the toilets.
• Keep all children and pets away from the sewage.
• Wear rubber gloves when handling anything contaminated with sewage. Wash hands immediately afterwards. Never touch raw sewage with bare hands.
• If your home is served by a municipal sewer system, call your local sewer dept (town public works dept or water pollution control authority) or go to their website. See the reference section of this document.
• If your home has a septic system, call your local health department for advice about how to dispose of the water/sewage. Then proceed to the next step.
• Call your homeowner’s insurance provider. They may have clean-up companies* on contract who know how to deal with property damage from sewage back-ups.
• Call a professional water damage restoration company* if your insurance company does not have one.  

 Clean-Up of Building Interiors

The potential for developing illness increases the longer sewage remains in contact with building interiors. Therefore, it is important to dry out the space promptly and discard contaminated porous materials. Other factors that influence the ability of disease causing germs, or pathogens, to survive include: the types of materials or substrates that have become contaminated; high humidity and mild temperatures; whether disinfectants are used; if sunlight is present. Many germs exposed to sunlight die off at a faster rate than those not exposed.

 Hiring A Professional vs. Cleaning Up a Sewage Back-Up Yourself

 Cleaning up after a sewage back-up is not a pleasant job. The decision whether to hire a professional remediation company or do your own clean-up often comes down to time and money. If your homeowner’s insurance policy will pay for a professional to do the clean-up , most people will choose that path. If you do not have insurance, or if your policy does not cover sewage back-ups, you may be faced with hiring a professional on your own for the clean-up, or doing your own clean-up. You may also choose to hire a professional to perform an initial assessment to identify the extent of the damage and develop a scope of work for you to follow when performing the clean-up yourself. This scope of work should include replacement criteria for contaminated floor coverings and wallboard. 

The State of Connecticut does not certify clean-up companies. However, there is an organization called the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) that provides education and credentials to contractors performing this work. They also publish a standard called Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Water Damage Restoration (IICRC S500). You may wish to ask your contractor to follow these guidelines. The IICRC offers a list of professional clean-up companies organized by zip code and other useful information on their website: http://www.iicrc.org/ 

Several scenarios would favor hiring a professional instead of doing the work yourself: 

• When insurance will pay for it.
• When duct work becomes contaminated with sewage in homes with forced hot air and/or central air conditioning
• When sewage remains indoors for over 24 hours in a finished living space
• When the job is just too large or complex for you to do it yourself 

If you decide to hire a contractor, you may wish to contact the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP). Ask if the contractor has a complaint history file at DCP. Also, if your home has a septic system, your contractor might need a subsurface sewage disposal system installer’s or cleaner’s license from DPH, depending upon whether or not the septic system needs to be pumped out or repaired.

Conducting Clean-Up Yourself

If you plan on doing any of the clean-up yourself, be sure to protect yourself. Wear protective eyewear, gloves, and boots. Wear goggles when hosing off items to prevent eye splash. Avoid direct contact with sewage material. Wash your hands after cleaning. Protect all cuts and scrapes. Immediately wash and disinfect any wound that comes into contact with sewage. Never mix bleach with ammonia – it makes a deadly gas. It’s also a good idea to take pictures and make a list of discarded items for insurance purposes. 

1. Dry the space out:

• All standing water needs to be removed. A sump pump, wet vac, or bucket may be used. For municipal sewer systems, call your local water pollution control authority or public works department for advice about pumping out after a back-up.
• If you have a septic system, call your local health department for advice about possible causes and solutions.
• Much of the equipment for cleaning and drying out can be rented locally.
• Establish temperature control to enhance the evaporation rate and effectiveness of ventilation or dehumidification systems in use.
• All solid waste must be collected and discarded.
• Use dehumidifiers, fans, window air conditioners and open windows to aid in the drying process when available. Exchange humid air in the area with less humid air from other sources. Whole house air conditioners or furnace blowers should be used only if standing wastewater did not get into the air ducts.
• Remove vinyl covered wallpaper in affected areas, as it slows the drying process.

2. Discard and Disinfect:

• Contaminated carpets, rugs, and upholstered furniture should be discarded.*
• If you can see a water line or stain on wallboard or paneling from the sewage back-up , the material should be cut out up to several inches above the water line and replaced.
• Wash the affected area with detergent solution to remove surface dirt and contamination. Don’t skip this step, or the disinfection step will be ineffective! Allow it to air-dry.
• Apply a disinfectant labeled as being bactericidal (kills bacteria) or a solution of 1 part bleach + 9 parts water. Disinfectants and/or bleach should remain in contact with the items for 15- 20 minutes to be effective. Allow it to air-dry. 
• Be sure to discard all contaminated materials such as carpets, carpet pads, cosmetics, mattresses, pillows, upholstered furniture, unfinished furniture, toys and stuffed animals, etc. The general rule of thumb is to discard all porous materials that have become contaminated by sewage, especially cardboard boxes, paper items, books and magazines, carpets and rugs, unfinished wood, wallboard, upholstered items, and anything else that is difficult to clean.
• Sometimes, certain items like clothing may be salvageable if they can be adequately laundered. Consult with a professional water damage restorer or cleaning professional for specifics.

If the home is subject to periodic sewage back-ups, pro-active, preventive measures should be taken to reduce the risk of illness from contact with sewage. Also, contact your local municipal sewer authority or local health department to make sure that they are aware of these periodic back-up. 

Preventive actions include:

1.  Waterproofing the building foundation and/or sealing cracks in foundation floor or walls;
2. Installation of a check valve or shut-off valve on the building sewer close to where it enters the structure, which will protect your home from sewage back-ups due to surcharging conditions in the municipal sewerage system (you must check with the proper sewer authority prior to taking this action!!); and
3. Raising or removing any sink, toilet, washing machine, etc. in the basement that may be subject to overflows when the sewer system backs up. *

Pro-active measures include the following:

1. Ensure that roof gutters and downspouts and sump pumps are not connected to the house sanitary sewer line. They carry clean ground or rain water that can easily overload the capacity of your sanitary sewer pipe.
2.  Ensure that gutter downspouts and drains are directed away from the foundation and toward low points away from the home
3. Consider cutting down large trees or bushes near or over your sewer line before the roots plug the lines.
4. Do not use carpet flooring in basements. Carpet must be discarded after a sewage backup. Hard surfaces (tiles, ceramic, wood) can usually be dried out, disinfected and saved.
5. Purchase or install a pump (e.g. sump pump) to pump out water that collects in the low point of the basement or structure;
6. To the extent possible, keep furniture and valuables above flood levels where flooding has previously occurred; and
7. If minor flooding occurs, follow the water to its point-of-entry and seal cracks or defects to the extent possible. 

Floods & Mold in Your Home

If your home has sustained significant water damage after a hurricane, tornado, or tropical storm, the large amounts of water will likely result in mold growth in your home. Mold exposure can trigger asthma attacks and is associated with other breathing symptoms and diseases. Here are some things you should do as soon as it is safe to re-enter your home.

As soon as it is safe to go in, take a look around, assess what needs to be done, and decide what you can do
yourself, and what will require help from professionals.

Things That Should Be Done ASAP:

1. Water Removal

The faster you can dry things out, the easier it will be to deal with the mold.

• Remove as much standing water as you can. You can use a wet vac (shop vac), buckets, or hand bilge pump (check sporting goods or marine stores). Turn on your sump pump if you have one.
• Turn on your dehumidifier. Consider buying one if you don’t already have one.
• After the water is gone, use fans to dry out the area. Open windows and doors if it is not raining or excessively humid outside.
• If you use towels & such, wash them and either put them in a hot clothes dryer or hang them outside to dry.
• If carpeting has been wet for two days or more, it will most likely have to be thrown out, along with any padding underneath. If you can get it completely dry within a day or two after the flood, you might be able to save it. You will need to hire a water restoration contractor with special equipment to dry it thoroughly.

2. Throw It Out

• All porous items must be thrown out if they come in contact with sewage.
• Throw out wet furnace or air filters, cardboard boxes, and all porous items that can’t be washed clean and thoroughly dried quickly. Throw out moldy wallboard, ceiling tiles, and wet insulation.
• When in doubt, throw it out!

3. Cleaning

Note: If you have asthma, other breathing problems, cancer, or a weakened immune system, do not do the cleaning yourself. Get someone else to do it.

Cleaning Hard Surfaces:

• Put on rubber gloves (like dishwashing gloves) rubber boots, goggles, and a respirator or mask that says on it, “N-95, NIOSH Approved”. These are available in most hardware stores. Be sure to use both head straps and pinch the nose clip to fit your face.
• Get two buckets- one for dirty wash water, and one for clean rinse water.
• Use cloths or paper towels with soap and water or detergent and water to scrub dirt and debris off of hard surfaces. Don’t forget to scrub down walls and floors. Do not skip this soap/detergent and water step.
• After cleaning with soap/detergent and water, if you want to sanitize the area with a weak bleach solution, you can use household bleach to mix up a solution of 1 part bleach + 9 parts clean water. Do not make the bleach solution stronger. A weak solution will work fine if the area was cleaned with soap and water first. Never mix bleach with ammonia. It can form a poisonous gas.

Cleaning Soft (Porous) Items:

• Wash bed linens and clothes in hot water and dry in a hot clothes dryer. Alternatively, you can try dry cleaning clothes.
• If a water restoration contractor has been able to salvage your carpet, it will probably need to be cleaned. Hire a commercial carpet cleaning company to steam clean it with hot water. Make sure they can extract all of the water, and it is dry before they leave. If it starts to smell moldy within a few days, it will have to be thrown out.
• Upholstered furniture, mattresses and other stuffed items will probably have to be thrown out if they’ve been wet for two days or more. You can try to steam clean them, extract all of the water and leave them baking in the sun for a few days. However, if they starts to smell moldy within a few days, these items will have to be thrown out.
• If flood water gets inside of heating or cooling ducts, have those units professionally cleaned. Throw out filters and duct liners that have gotten wet.

4. Mold Removal

If you see or smell mold, there is no need to have it tested. It does not matter what kind of mold it is – remove it! For more information, see Testing Should Not Be The First Move

If a small moldy area needs to be cleaned (less than a 3 ft by 3 ft area), you may choose to do the work yourself if you do not have asthma, cancer, or other conditions that cause a weakened immune system. Please see the CT DPH website for directions about how to do it safely yourself, see Get The Mold Out. 

Large scale mold removal should be performed by a professional contractor experienced in mold removal. To be sure that the job is done safely, make sure your contractor follows the Connecticut Guidelines for Mold Abatement Contractors (http://www.ct.gov/dph/mold). Note that there is no state enforcement, but clients can require that these guidelines be followed as a condition of payment.

For more information about mold, visit the Indoor Air Quality web page: Information About Mold

• Video: Well Disinfecting (Penn State University)
• Residential Well Water Testing
• CT Laboratories Certified to Test Drinking Water
• EPA flood resources

• After the Storm:  Inspecting for Water Damage
• EPA - Indoor Air Quality and Floods

Information on Flood Insurance:

• National Flood Insurance Program