Following a flood, your sewage system may not work properly. If you have a septic system that operates by a dosing pump, it will not work without electricity. You should use as little water in your home as possible until electricity is restored.

Without the pump working, the tanks will fill and may cause backups of sewage in your home. Additionally, the yard around your septic system may become saturated and prevent the system from draining normally. This can also cause sewage to back up into your house. Having your septic tank pumped while the yard is saturated can cause the tank to float or collapse. It is likely that your septic system will function normally when the yard dries.

General precautions:

Do not let children play in flood waters as these waters may be contaminated by sewage.

If you live in a low-lying or flood-prone area, the ground in your area may be saturated from heavy rainfalls or flooding from the storm. You should use household water as little as possible to prevent backups of sewage into your home.

What should I do if sewage backs up?

If a sewage backup has occurred in your home, stay out of affected areas and keep children away. If your entire home has been saturated, abandon the home until all affected areas, including but not limited to carpets, rugs, sheetrock, drywall, and baseboards, have been removed and replaced if mold has started to grow.  If your home has been saturated but there is no evidence of mold growth, make sure the affected areas are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before occupying the house again.  Discard items that cannot be washed and disinfected such as mattresses, carpeting, wall coverings and upholstered furniture.

If sewage has overflowed in open areas or streets, etc., avoid these areas and keep children out of these areas.

If you are having problems in areas served by sewer systems, please contact your utility company to insure they are aware of problems in your area.

For more information, contact the Suwannee County Health Department @ 386-362-2708 or visit http://www.doh.state.fl.us or http://www.FloridaDisaster.org.