Why You Should Install a Temporary Sewer Backflow Unit During a Flood

Floods are devastating on their own, but things can get significantly worse when sewer water backs up into your home. While flood water itself can be dirty and difficult to manage, the real nightmare begins when that water mixes with sewage. Installing a temporary sewer backflow unit during a flood is one of the smartest moves you can make to protect your home, your health, and simplify the cleanup process.

Understanding Flood Water vs. Sewer Water

Flood water can come from a variety of sources—rivers overflowing, heavy rain, or storm surges. It’s not something you want in your house, but it’s manageable. Yes, it can be muddy, contain debris, and even harbor bacteria, but compared to sewer water, it’s much less hazardous to clean up.

Sewer water, on the other hand, is a different story. It’s a mixture of everything that gets flushed down toilets and drains, including waste, chemicals, and disease-causing pathogens. If your home experiences a backflow of sewer water during a flood, you’re not just dealing with dirty water—you’re dealing with contaminated water that requires professional-grade cleaning and sanitization. The costs and health risks skyrocket.

How a Temporary Sewer Backflow Unit Helps

A temporary sewer backflow unit is designed to prevent sewer water from entering your home during a flood. It’s a simple device that creates a barrier in your sewer line, stopping the nasty stuff from coming up through drains, toilets, and sinks. Here’s why installing one is a game-changer:

1. Prevents Contamination
   When a flood hits, water pressure in the sewer system can cause sewage to back up into your home. A backflow unit ensures that only flood water—gross but not hazardous—enters your space. This significantly reduces the risk of exposure to harmful bacteria, viruses, and toxic chemicals found in sewer water.
2. Simplifies Cleanup
   Flood water cleanup is bad enough without adding sewage to the mix. When sewer water infiltrates your home, everything it touches is contaminated. You’ll need to discard soft goods, disinfect hard surfaces, and even gut parts of your home. By keeping sewer water out, a temporary backflow unit allows you to clean and restore your home more easily, without the biohazard-level precautions that sewage requires.
3. Reduces Health Risks
   Exposure to sewer water can lead to a host of health problems, from gastrointestinal issues to more serious infections like hepatitis or leptospirosis. Flood water, while still requiring protective measures during cleanup, is far less dangerous. By preventing sewer water from entering your home, you’re minimizing the health risks for yourself and your family.
4. Cost Savings
   The costs associated with cleaning up sewer water are far higher than flood water alone. Restoration companies charge premium rates for sewage cleanup due to the biohazard risks. Installing a backflow prevention unit is a much cheaper investment that can save you thousands in cleanup costs, not to mention the headache of managing insurance claims for sewer damage.
5. Peace of Mind
   In a flood scenario, stress levels are already high. Having a backflow prevention unit installed provides peace of mind that you’ve done everything you can to protect your home. While the flood itself might still cause damage, knowing that you’ve prevented the worst-case scenario of sewage backup can make the situation more manageable.

When to Install a Temporary Sewer Backflow Unit

If you live in a flood-prone area, you should consider installing a temporary sewer backflow unit well before disaster strikes. These devices are relatively easy to install and can be done by a professional plumber. In some cases, cities or municipalities may offer programs to subsidize the cost of these units for homes in high-risk areas. Check with your local government to see if you qualify.

Final Thoughts

When a flood hits, the last thing you want to deal with is raw sewage backing up into your home. Installing a temporary sewer backflow unit is a small, proactive step that can save you from a much bigger headache. While flood water can still cause damage, keeping sewer water out simplifies the cleanup process and reduces health risks, allowing you to recover more quickly. When it comes to protecting your home and your family, it’s an investment that’s well worth making.