Sewage & Bacterial Surveys
Testing the Safety of Residential & Commercial Plumbing Systems
The plumbing system in your home or commercial building can provide you with clean water, but it can also be one of your worst nightmares when something goes wrong. Sewage backups, water intrusion, severe flooding, and leaking sewer pipes or septic tanks could lead to serious bacterial contamination of occupied spaces. Exposure to sewage contamination (otherwise known as gray or black water) increases the risk of contracting diseases of the digestive system, such as E. coli, salmonella, and shigellosis.
American Environmental Group can assist with on-site sampling, immediate results, and lab-confirmed cultured samples in as little as 24 to 48 hours. Our team recognizes the need for quick results, especially when major bacterial infections are a possibility. We have the experience and skill needed to conduct a thorough and accurate test that gets you the answers you need when you need them most. We can even conduct a Post-Remediation Assessment to confirm that our suggestions were effective and that the issue has been contained.
Contact us now at (818) 865-7901 or online to learn more about our Sewage and Bacterial Survey services.
Clear, Gray & Black Water–Contamination Levels
Once water is used, it becomes wastewater. Wastewater is categorized into three categories: clean water, gray water, and black water. Each of these different designations indicates a different level of water contamination.
- Category I Clean Water: Clean water applies to water that does not initially contain contaminants, and can include wastewater from broken water lines, malfunctioning appliances, toilet holding tanks, snowmelt, and rainwater. Clean water can become gray water after some time exposed to building surfaces.
- Category II Gray Water: Gray water includes discharge from dishwashers, washing machines, sinks, showers, aquariums, and waterbeds. Gray water may present a health risk due to chemical or biological contamination. Standing gray water can become blackwater after as little as 48 hours due to bacterial spread.
- Category III Blackwater: Blackwater is the name for wastewater from bathrooms and toilets, leaking or broken sewer pipes, or septic tanks that contain fecal matter and urine. Blackwater presents an almost certain bacterial or contaminant risk. It also includes floodwaters containing soil and any sewage waters.
Let our team help you fight contamination risk; contact American Environmental Group online or by phone at (818) 865-7901 today!