Did you know that a blocked sewer drain could be detrimental to your health? Or that in extreme cases, a blocked sewer can kill you?
Most of us take our plumbing systems for granted. However, prior to the invention of contemporary sewerage systems, human excrement and waste used to flow through the streets. Illnesses caused by poor sanitation were common and many people died from from cholera, typhoid fever, and dysentery, which spread from drinking sewage-contaminated water.
While plumbing systems have improved exponentially since Medieval times, this doesn’t mean raw sewage exposure no longer exists. Coming into contact with raw sewage can still cause lifelong health conditions or even death.
Coming into contact with raw sewage
All of the plumbing fixtures in your home are connected to small wastewater pipes that connect to the main sewer line outside of your home. This main sewer line is connected to the Council sewer main, which takes all of the waste from your home to the City’s water treatment facility. Sydney Water collects more than 1.3 billion litres of wastewater from over 1.8 million homes and businesses in Sydney, the Illawarra and the Blue Mountains every day.
If your sewerage system is clogged or damaged it will not be able to get rid of sewage safely. Instead of being transported to the water treatment facility, raw sewage can travel back up the smaller pipes and out of the plumbing fixtures in your home. Sewage and wastewater can overflow from the toilet, shower drain, floor wastes or any other drain opening.
Raw, untreated sewage contains disease-causing germs and parasites. The Australian Government Department of Health provides a list of diseases and infections that can be caused by exposure to raw sewage.
Diseases caused by raw sewage. Source: The Australian Government Department of Health.
Young girl dies from E-coli
According to WebMD, Escherichia coli or E coli is a bacteria that is normally found in your intestine. Most types of E coli are harmless by some strains can make you very sick causing diarrhoea pneumonia and urinary tract infections.
E coli can also be present in sewage. In 2000, The Guardian covered a story about the death of an eight-year-old girl who died of E coli poisoning two weeks after a beachside holiday in Devon. An inquest heard that she could have caught the infection from sewage discharged near the beach where she played. The girl became ill with diarrhoea and blood loss and was transferred to Bristol Children's hospital. After suffering from brain damage and kidney failure her parents made the difficult decision to turn off her life support.
Death from sewer gases
Sewage generates a number of harmful gases, such as hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, methane, esters, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. Collectively know as sewer gases, these gases are a byproduct of the breakdown of natural human waste. While sewer gases are not harmful in small quantities, chronic exposure can cause sewer gas poisoning.
According to an article on Healthline, symptoms of low-level exposure include nausea, light headedness, fatigue, headaches, poor memory and loss of concentration. Symptoms of high-level exposure, on the other hand, include loss of smell, throat and lung irritation, seizures, coma and possibly death. It’s uncommon to be exposed to lethal levels of sewer gas at home. However, high levels of sewer gas occasioning death do occur.
In 2019, a 39-year-old Sydney woman was found dead in a toilet cubicle aboard the Lady Rose commercial cruise vessel after being exposed to "extremely hazardous" levels of hydrogen sulphide, reported the Sydney Morning Herald. The discovery followed complaints from passengers of a strong and overpowering smell on the boat.
In another 2019 incident covered by the Sydney Morning Herald, the death of a worker exposed to a sewage overflow at Homebush Bay's Olympic Park was investigated by SafeWork NSW. The man complained of light-headedness and nausea after being called to the site on Thursday, May 2. The man returned to work on both the Friday and Saturday, but died at home the following day. It is understood several members of his work crew reported being overcome by strong fumes at the site on May 2.
What are the warning signs of a blocked sewer main?
Blocked sewer drains have a number of warning signs that distinguish them from other drain blockages. Because all the drains in your home are connected to the main sewer line, a blocked sewer line will create problems with multiple drains. You could notice numerous drains blocking up at the same time or the water draining slowly. A bad smell coming from different drain opening around the home is another warning sign.
You could also come into contact with raw sewage in the backyard if the main sewer line is cracked or broken. Signs of a broken main sewer line include unusual patches of green grass on your lawn near the sewer lines, mould and mildew issues, cracks in the walls or foundations of you home. We have covered the signs of a broken sewer line extensively in another blog post which you can access here.
What to do if you suspect a blocked sewer
To keep your family safe, all faulty, blocked, damaged or broken parts of your sewerage system must be repaired as soon as possible by a licensed plumber. If you suspect something is wrong with the main sewer line at your property, immediately get in contact with a drain plumber or an emergency plumber.
If there is raw sewage on your property, avoid contact with the sewage and warn all of your guests, family or staff members to keep clear of the contaminated area. If you do attempt clean it up before help arrives, make sure you wear gloves, a mask and other protective clothing. Wash thoroughly, even if you don’t touch it directly. Our advice is to stay well away and wait for professional help to arrive.
JAB Plumbing Solutions - Sydney Emergency Blocked Drain Plumber
If you need urgent assistance with a blocked sewer or sewage overflow call 1800 225 552. JAB Plumbing Solutions are specialist drainage plumbers. We can get the problem sorted for you quickly and safely. Our trucks are fitted with state-of-the-art industry tools that are designed to quickly repair issues with your main sewer line. We offer 24 hour assistance, seven days a week for all plumbing emergencies.
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