Water is under my mobile home, what it means, sewage spills, and more.
If there is a sewage spill in progress or very recent, you should skip the Urgent Steps for a Sewage Spill in Progress for helpful instructions to help solve the problem.
This isn't a pleasant topic.If you live in a mobile home park and the age of the park is questionable, you should know about these suggested procedures.Sewage problems are more than just the domain of mobile home parks and the presence of a spill does not mean the park is poorly managed.If the park's owner isn't spending enough money on park maintenance, your chances of getting a spill may go up.
A sewage spill is when sewage escapes from the sewage pipes or sewer system into the open air.
All residents of mobile home parks should be aware of this issue.
In poorly funded mobile home parks, the park employees may attempt to manage urgent matters by themselves, even when these issues are emergencies and seriously affect the health and safety of park residents.This isn't a criticism of park employees for being involved in emergencies.Having properly trained and licensed professionals on the scene is an issue.There is a right for residents to be concerned about the quality of work performed by inexperienced park employees.untrained individuals may not know how to appraise an emergency and may overlook items that professionals are trained to findSome matters should be left to professionals.
Managing the park for prevention of serious problems is where mobile home park employees can make the greatest impact.For example, if your park has a newsletter and flyers that remind residents to follow park rules for use of sinks and toilets, you should check them.Sewage lines and pumps must be maintained by park employees.In writing, new residents should be told not to abuse their toilets and drain.The best place for park employees to be is there.Park residents may need to be witnesses and involved with oversight of emergencies so that they are handled in the safest way.Ensuring community health and safety is one of the things residents have a right to do.
These are usually the responsibility of the mobile home owner.The home owner has to pay for a professional to determine the reason for the spill.If the cause is the park's infrastructure failure, the homeowner can seek to be repaid for the costs and damage.A competent plumbing professional will be able to assess where the problem started.You should get this appraisal in writing with the time, date, and the name of the professional doing the appraisal.It is crucial to use licensed, trained and certified professionals for this work in order to present a strong case in the event that compensation is due to the homeowner.
If the sewage spill is contained within a mobile home, not reaching the outside, then the most danger of health and safety is to the residents within the home.The building should be examined by a professional if it is weakened by contact with water.If not given immediate professional attention, a loss of the home may result in mold or water damage.The only legal reason that a park owner can demand entrance into a home is due to mold damage.The park owner may request to inspect the home if the damage is visible from the outside.You can prevent this by immediately attending to any spills inside the home and by hiring professionals and having them give you a report that you can present as proof of your efforts to solve the problem.
These spills come from the sewage connection to the home or the rented lot's own cleanout plugs.Mobile homes usually have a large plug on a pipe joint.This is for cleaning the home owner's sewage pipes.The main difference between the Lower Risk Level 1 and the above one is that the sewage is leaking outside the home and usually reaching the ground and flowing.It is the home owner's responsibility if the spill is coming from pipes in the house.It is possible that weak or failing hookups are to blame.
If a sewage spill touches or flows underneath a structure such as a storage shed or mobile home, there is an issue of health and safety and a competent professional, hired by the resident, may be the most reliable source of advice.
The resident should immediately call a certified plumbing professional and insist that they do everything they can to stop the spill and minimize the damage.A responsible mobile home owner should try to notify the park manager immediately if they are threatened, so that they can move their possessions and attempt to reduce damage.
If the spill extends beyond the home's lot, the owner may be held responsible for the damages.Even if sewage does not flow beyond the lot, there is an issue of soil contamination and the possibility of dust and debris affecting nearby homes and communities.If rain or irrigation reaches the affected area, it may carry pollutants off of the lot and onto nearby streets.The sewage spill may cause health and safety issues for the home owner.
Obtain a written report from the professionals that attended the sewage spill.The sewage spill may be the fault of the homeowner or the mobile home park owner.A trained and certified professional can advise the resident on how to reduce their liability for future damages, since they know the laws and issues of health and safety.You need to make sure that a report is filed and that you get a copy.Professionals and public employees should report the cause of the sewage spill.When you are talking to them, tell them that a report is expected and ask when you can get a copy.If carelessness is suspected, this is a crucial item to have.
These spills are not associated with any particular home.These spills usually occur at a cleanout plug along the main sewer lines that run between homes.How can you tell a cleanout plug from another?They are usually made of rubber or plastic and are located in a back or side yard.When sewage pressure builds beyond a certain point, they are designed to blow or pop out the pipe.This type of safety valve is used in sewage systems to prevent damage to homes.If it wasn't for this safety valve, there would be backups into the homes, with toilets overflowing and sink and bathtub drain erupting.It is thought that a spill outside the home, on the bare ground, is preferable to one inside multiple homes where extensive damage and health issues may occur.
In the State of California, there are two places that sewage must not touch, or the event becomes a state health and safety issue and is raised to the highest, most urgent level.There are storm drains and public streets.A sewage spill that is not stopped and contained will end up in public storm drain.Most emergency municipal authorities will do everything they can to prevent sewage from flowing into those places.It is your civic duty to inform health and safety officials and professionals that will respond immediately to try to prevent the spill into these sensitive areas.The risk level is taken very seriously by most local and state governments.
If the sewage spill occurs from the mobile home park owned infrastructure and flows along the ground, the risk may extend to the neighboring lots, homes and buildings.If the sewage is not removed, it can be found on the bottoms of shoes or feet.Car tires may carry the remains from the spill site.Residents can have an objective idea on the healthiness and safety of their environment if all of these risks are assessed by a disinterested professional third party.Do not depend on mobile home park owners or homeowners for an assessment of the problem.Follow the professional recommendations to get professional help.
The owners of the mobile home park are responsible for maintaining the park's infrastructure.There is a chance of carelessness when there are frequent sewage spills.Keeping good documentation and having a Home Owners Association can help determine what course residents need to take to ensure the continued health and safety of their families and community.If the park owner is negligent it may be necessary for residents to get legal advice.In the event of a lawsuit, residents who have followed the procedures may be able to get legal remedies.State health and safety authorities may use the residents' records to investigate the mobile home park owner.
In a large mobile home park where there is little communication between residents, a sewage spill may occur in one area and many of the residents will not even know it happened.Infrastructure problems are kept to themselves by some park owners.If you have an organized system of residents, you may be able to alert all of them when there is a spill.It is good to keep an eye on what is happening in the park after a spill.It's very helpful to have a Home Owners Association in the park that knows about these issues.The history of events in the park can be stored in a central location so residents can detect trends and offer solutions.It is not always a good idea to rely on the park owner alone for documentation.
It is important that the residents of a mobile home park seek several sources of advice for handling problems and not rely solely on the park manager or owner for instructions on what to do.It is important and respectful to follow the park manager's requests as to health and safety during the spill.If you are asked by park management to temporarily evacuate your home, you should do so.Your cooperation in avoiding damages and risk is important for health and safety.
Don't try to handle a sewage spill on your own.Don't keep it a secret.Ensure that people are safe at the first sign of a spill and get sewage professionals involved immediately.Inform the park manager or owner.Follow your mobile home park manager's urgent requests for your own health and safety and the advice of a certified and licensed plumbing professional.Local government authorities should be advised of the event.
A plumbing fixture that is part of the main sewer lines in the mobile home park, located at ground level or above, usually made of rubber or plastic, is located in a home's back or side yard.
There is less risk of follow-on problems if the Cleanup is handled professionally.Problems can continue for a long time if the spill is not managed properly.Dust and debris can affect neighboring homes and communities once the ground dries.The spill area may be contaminated by rain or irrigation if it reaches the affected area.The sewage spill may cause health and safety issues for the park owner.If health and safety issues arise, residents are advised to keep permanent records of the events so they can present them to experts.
You should be cautious of put-offs, delays, or stalling from unqualified people such as poorly trained or inexperienced mobile home park employees.Park owners and managers should not be in charge of health and safety issues.It is better to be cautious.If you are a concerned citizen, you may want to take your own steps to make sure that the situation is properly managed by experts.Regardless of what the mobile home park owners or managers tell you, you need to keep trying to get in touch with professionals.This is a serious matter and you are entitled to a third opinion.We recommend that you let qualified professionals make the assessment and try to get those qualified people involved as soon as possible.Ensuring that the situation is professionally managed by qualified authorities may be taken into your own hands.Don't delay.
If possible, inform nearby households that their property may be in the path of a spill, and suggest that they evacuate.If anyone is in immediate danger of being exposed to contaminated material, help them evacuate.It is possible to alert people to avoid walking, driving or coming into contact with contaminated substances.If reasonable, try to keep people away from the area and ask them to stay back until the situation is assessed.
The Division of Codes and Standards is part of the Department of Housing and Community Development.
The process and procedures of the controller's office can be found in 10070.HCD offices