Property flooding
Flood waters often contain sewage and other pollutants hazardous to health. Combat this by applying basic hygiene precautions which include:
- Washing hands after exposure;
- Decontaminating footwear by washing and treating with a mild disinfectant; and
- Keeping children and pets out of the contaminated area.
Where sewage is clearly visible in flood waters, or in material deposited by flood waters, decontamination should typically involve:
- Removing excess liquid (pumping/sweeping, as appropriate);
- A thorough clean up to remove any debris or faecal contamination;
- Leaving the contaminated areas to dry; and
- Applying a mild disinfectant;
Industry tests have shown that using this approach, disinfectants should remove all traces of bacteria within 24 to 48 hours.