Not sure who to ask this of. Building Inspector in small town does not seem to know anything and he only works a couple days a week. A plumber is the one who fixed and cleaned the situation I need answers too. I get different answers from different plumbers.

This week I got fed up with an on going sewage smell. I have complained to landlord for a few months. The smell was coming and going and every time he checked it out it didn't smell. Finally I decided to lift the crawl space board and check it out. I want to know if what I found from a past sewer pipe erruption was acceptable clean up. I am only looking for information because I cannot seem to get a straight or educated answer from any government official, my manager, or even plumbers. Again we live in a small town.

Several years ago a huge sewage pipe erupted under my apartment, lucky me. I was gone for a week. They said they cleaned it. There is now material in my crawl space that is at least four inches thick. And, there is a thick layer of white powder on top of that. A new leak has been under the kitchen area four at least four or five months. I have smelled off and on sewage smell for that long. Plumber got down in space but could only see leak and was unable to fix it because space is now too tiny to allow access too. They say they are looking for a very thin or short plumber to do the job (no joke).

Should I be concerned with the material in my crawl space? Another website civil engineer said the powder was from evaporated liquid and it indicated that a leak was on going. He said it should be removed and the crusted four inch thick material removed. Should I trust the managers that created this situation and only want current leak fixed, and I am sure will leave whatever sewage is there and again put lime ( I hope eight years ago it wasn't lye although I believe that is what I was told then and now I am being told it is lime) on the sewage. Is this normal? A plumber is the one that cleaned original situation after last sewage burst. Is this material old sewage? Is this safe? Is the inch thick layer of white powder showing that a leak has been present in my crawl space for years? I just want to know as a mom if this is safe or not. It does not seem like it.

The powder is likely quick lime used to neutralize the original sewage, if it lime its OK. I would be more concerned with the new leak. Quite frankly, if your landlord is not interested in fixing his plumbing in a proper and safe manner I'd start looking for a nicer place. Sounds like there is less and less room for repairing the leaks so I'd leave. Difficult to force a reluctant or bad landlord to become better.

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Plumber got down in space but could only see leak and was unable to fix it because space is now too tiny to allow access too. They say they are looking for a very thin or short plumber to do the job (no joke).

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How about a plumber with a shovel who's not afraid of a little digging to make the crawl space larger. But what the hey! That would be the logical thing to do.

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A new leak has been under the kitchen area four at least four or five months. I have smelled off and on sewage smell for that long Is this safe? Is the inch thick layer of white powder showing that a leak has been present in my crawl space for years? I just want to know as a mom if this is safe or not. It does not seem like it.

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No drainage leak in a crawl space is "safe". If you smell sewage then you have a health hazard. Why not give your landlord a choice . Either fix the leak or face the Health department after you make a complaint about him forcing you to live over a health hazard. Good luck and please keep me informed. Tom

I posted under the heading "Is this safe?" earlier but I have new information. I just had my gas heater condemned. What I want to know is could this be because it was circulating sewage contaminated air from the crawl space or is there no way that could be the case. I live in an apartment complex and cannot get an aswer from management or the plumber. For eight years now the crawl space was accessible to the circulated air because nothing was placed on top of the floor boards in the ventalation area. This is a code violation. I want to know if the sewage contamination that took place recently and seven years ago (the whole area was covered in sewage then) could have contaminated the heater and the vents and my home. I just want to know if it is possible for a heater to become contaminated from poor air quality. And, would this lead to it being condemned? Is condemning a heater a very normal thing? Or extreme?

Although it doesn't sound healthy, the code violation is probably the reason for the furnace being condemned. I would start by asking the authority that condemned the furnace for the reason? It may be precisely what you suspect, that the reason for the code is because of possible contamination that could result. You are not likely to get any answers from the owners because they would not want to open themselves up to any liability, and there may not even be any evidence that your air is contaminated... but the possibility is there. The condemnation (I believe) would only be stating that the furnace is not hooked up properly according to code, or not funtioning properly... which could lead to other issues... You would need further investigations to determine if those possible consequences have happened.

I had a gas company inspector condemn a furnace due to a pipe not being hooked up properly, only to learn later that the code did not apply to my set up... but what I'm saying is that it was flagged as a potential problem that one inspector thought was dangerous... not that anything was actually putting me in danger. The next inspector passed the furnace without any changes.

When your house was red tagged what was the reason given on the notice that was tacked up? If no reason was given then call the Building Department and ask. My bet is that the fumes,(sewer gas) from the sewage spill were being picked up by the furnace and circulated throughout your home. Let me know, Tom

The plumber and not the building inspector condemned the furnace. It does not state the reason. And, I could not get anyone to answer why. The plumber only answers to the owner of the apartment complex because he is paying the bill. So, can a furnace be condemned for the reasons I have stated? We live in a small town and the building inspector is only on 21/2 days a week he will not be in again until Monday. I went to City Hall and asked that they call him and see if he might come out. He said he would come on Monday.

My concern is if the air quality was comprimised, should there be air quality testing of the crawl space and my apartment. Especially considering my son has been ill and missed most of his fifth grade;he is on home hospital right now for persistent coughing and nausea. Could there be mold or bacteria in the vents now too?

Thanks for your previous input too!

I have no idea where you live but plumbers, carpenter, electricians can not condem anything in the legal sense of condenation. Where is the owner in all this? The plumber who works for him condemns his furnace, that makes the building uninhabitable. To be honest with you go back to my first post, why are you still there?

I am still there because I am a single parent and this is income based housing that has a waiting list that takes years to get into. It is very pretty and quiet and in a nice neighborhood. I have contacted the government branch that runs the income based program and they are dealing with the owner and management company. However, the building inspector seems very incompetent and works only a couple days a week and has no boss (its a small town). I want to know if mold and bacteria could have contaminated the vents and our home from the open crawlspace. The air was being directly sucked into the furnace for years.

For those conservatives that have a problem with any kind of assitance I am a single mom that put myself through school, and getting my teaching credential and am close to getting my graduate degree. Eventually I can move out but now is not that time.

Thank you for the explanation, it helps me better understand your situation. If you are in contact with the governmental agency just keep calling them about the sewage, odors and that your child is ill. The building inspector won't likely have equipment to test air quality but I do suspect there is some contamination based on what you have explained to us. Keep calling the government, you are their boss, idyllically.