Apartment Building Plumbing Problems: A Case Study

Southland Organics’ PORT is a powerful fix that provides rapid waste degradation and odor control. The beneficial bacteria in PORT liquified solids and erased the biofilm, allowing oxygen to stop the harmful bacteria from growing and eliminating a huge plumbing issue.

Apartment Building Plumbing Problems: A Case Study. White pipes on a white brick background.

You may not think of it often, but your apartment building’s plumbing is a complicated network that requires routine maintenance and attention. These plumbing problems can lead to more serious damage like flooding, a clogged toilet and even an unclean water supply for your tenants. 

Don’t let a clogged water flow in your plumbing pipes ruin your apartment building or damage the municipal water supply and your years of hard work. Prevent major problems in apartments without expensive plumber services.

Many say the first step would be to call a professional, but multiple apartment plumbing problems could be solved in an easier, less expensive way: all-natural plumbing products from Southland Organics. 

Apartment Building Plumbing

apartment plumbing clogs

We’re happy to introduce our 1+2 punch to clogged drain lines and lift stations: Yes BS and PORT. Yes BS is a bio-surfactant that liquifies problematic solids that cause clogged pipes. PORT efficiently and effectively breaks down waste without the use of harsh chemicals. 

Why pay thousands to call a professional plumber or address plumbing issues yourself with a plunger in hand? Prevent these headaches in your buildings with our unbeatable combination of bio products that could save your apartments and fix your clogs.

Read on to learn how Yes BS and PORT saved an apartment building in Florida from a drain and plumbing disaster. 

A Sewer Crisis

Imagine coming home from a hard day at work only to find your apartment flooded with backed up sewage. You look around and see that the bathtub and the kitchen sinks are clogged and you realize that the drain pipes have failed. There is obviously a serious plumbing problem here. 

For multiple months, this is exactly what residents at an apartment community in Jacksonville, Florida, found themselves dealing with all too regularly. 

This common plumbing problem was not isolated to one apartment building, it

commercial drain cleaner

was the entire community of units. The plumbing line structure was constructed in the 1970s and had a lot of buildup in its pipes, which made it not function properly. The pipes were clogged and effluent was showing in the sinks and clogged toilets. Sewage was backing up and seeping from the drains in their kitchens and bathrooms, creating an incomprehensible mess and odor.

The plumbing issue had been an ongoing battle and a top quality professional plumber was given a call.

Costly, repeated attempts to clean, repair and replace lines, faucets, pumps, pipes, etc. were adding up and more importantly, did not fix the plumbing issues. The main source of the plumbing problems was increased volume of drain use. As soon as the plumbing work was completed, more plumbing services would need to be rendered due to the age of the property and the increased use. 

More and more clogged drains

To make matters worse, the situation began in the fall of 2019. In the spring of 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic occurred, forcing people to stay home rather than going out for dinner. This triggered a high rise in the number of meals being cooked per unit and throughout the apartment buildings. Due to this rapid change in eating culture, more fats, oils and grease were forced into the sinks and therefore, the drainage system. This compounded the already overloaded and clogged drains.

Without the immediate attention of a professional plumber, the clogged drain and plumbing lines would eventually slough off solids and force a backup at the lift station. Eventually the main source of the plumbing problem was the lift station, as it was malfunctioning and, at times, shutting down. The large volume and consistency of the waste coming from thousands of residents was too much for the station to handle. 

Fixing the Drainage System

After months of costly attempts to fix the common plumbing problem, the owner of the complex reached out to Southland Organics, where a solution was found. There were two key components to the solution: first, Yes Bio-Surfactant was applied into the drains of the apartment buildings with a foaming applicator. The foaming solution ensured that gravity would not simply pull the solution past the targeted fats, oils and grease buildup, but that Yes BS could truly break down the solids and drain the plumbing of troublesome clogs. This promoted solubility and sludge removal in the clogged drains and pipes. 

Secondly, we added PORT to the clogged lift station. Southland Organics’ PORT is a powerful fix that provides rapid waste degradation and odor control. The beneficial bacteria in PORT liquified solids and erased the biofilm, allowing oxygen to stop the harmful bacteria from growing and eliminating a huge plumbing issue.

Common Apartment Plumbing Problems Solved

The 1+2 punch of Yes BS + PORT is an unbeatable combination of bio products that can eliminate even the toughest drain line and lift station clogs in apartment complexes. 

Common plumbing problems like these can take a huge toll on your property and cause serious damage. Yes BS + PORT can replace expensive plumber fees from clogged pipes and repair systems better than common services.  

To fix issues with pipes, Yes BS is applied in a foaming solution at the point of origin for biosolids, fats, oils, grease, sugar and human waste. Yes BS is an unparalleled bio-surfactant that liquifies problematic solids that form inside pipes. The bio-surfactant continuously “eats” away at solids until they are washed away from pipes or none remain, eliminating clogged drains.

Once the pipes on the upper levels of buildings are cleaned, they drain down into the sanitary sewer structure. Often these structures begin with a lift station (see below for the lift station description). If a lift station develops solids or thick effluent, it fails and backs up, causing serious yet common plumbing problems. 

To fix this, PORT is metered into the lift station system using a simple Dosatron or Stenner Pump. The organic acids in PORT help to oxygenate and break down the effluent while further feeding and amplifying the bio-surfactants from Yes BS. 

The result is a system with dramatically cleaner plumbing and more efficient and better-functioning lift stations. This means fewer pump outs, water jetting, snaking and plumber visits. Yes BS and PORT are also natural products that are safe for residents and the environment around apartments. Save thousands of dollars and headaches on common apartment plumbing problems with the Yes BS + PORT combination.

Order Yes BS and PORT

We'd love to help you address plumbing issues in your apartment buildings. To order Yes BS or PORT in commercial bulk sizes, contact Mike Usry at mike@southlandorganics.com or by calling 800-608-3755.  

Clean Drain Pipes

Clean Drain Pipes

Yes! BS eliminated the blockage and foul odors in the apartment unit drains. PORT efficiently and effectively broke down waste and cleared bio-solids without the use of harsh chemicals, thus enabling the lift station to function as it is intended. 

This is what Southland Organics aspires to do: help those in need with simple, eco-friendly and scientifically based solutions. By using Yes BS + PORT, the customer in this case study was able to save thousands of dollars in plumbing bills and overall repair fees for their common plumbing issues.

Though it may seem like a good idea to call a professional, common apartment plumbing problems like sewage backup, drain line issues and lift station malfunctions can be fixed with Yes BS and PORT. They are natural solutions for plumbing problems in apartments. 

More info about PORT:

  • Eliminates odors- does not simply cover them up with perfumes or fragrances

  • Is harmless to human, animal and marine life

  • Digests difficult compounds toxic to naturally occurring bacteria or existing sewage bacteria

  • Breaks down difficult detergents, fats, oils, tissue and hydrocarbons

  • Reduces corrosion resulting from leaching hydrogen sulfide

  • Non-corrosive, non-pathogenic; safe to handle and store

  • Made in the USA

More info about YES! Bio Surfactant:

  • Keeps drain line flowing

  • Removes organic build-up from surfaces and drains

  • Non-corrosive

  • Eco-friendly and non-hazardous

  • Eliminates odors

  • Made in the USA

What is a lift station?

Lift Station

A lift station is an integral part of common plumbing systems. Raw sewage uses gravity to make its way underground in a sloped pipeline. This type of pipe system is referred to as a gravity pipeline. In order for the raw sewage to make its way towards a local waste system, it needs to be transported to a higher elevation. 

Eventually, the raw sewage reaches a storage container referred to as a wet well, which is basically a holding cell that empties out once it reaches a certain level. Solid materials are then removed. Once the wet well is full, a lift station pump will “lift” the sewage upwards using a pressurized sewer force main. A sewer force main is a system that consists of pumps and compressors. Its purpose is to elevate the wastewater to a higher elevation so that it can continue to a wastewater facility for treatment and recirculation.

About The Author

Erin Flowers

Erin Flowers

This was written by Erin Flowers. As a writer and editor, Erin keeps a close eye on the details. Erin thoroughly researches each topic, fact checking and source searching to give our readers helpful resources for raising chickens, homesteading, and growing lawns and gardens. Erin graduated from the University of Georgia with a bachelor's degree in advertising. She began working with Southland Organics in 2018.

Learn more about Erin Flowers

Isabella (Izy) Dobbins

Marketing Manager

This was edited by Isabella (Izy) Dobbins, Southland Organics' Marketing Manager. Izy has devoted her education and career to communicating science-related topics. With an enthusiasm for sharing accurate and honest content relating to science and agriculture, she ensures Southland Organics' publications are as informative as they are interesting. Izy graduated from the University of Georgia with a bachelor's degree in advertising, minors in both Spanish and environmental health science and a Certificate in Sustainability. She has been working at Southland Organics since 2021.

Learn more about Izy Dobbins

Izy Dobbins
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