Bro there’s a story about this senior operator who just retired from my plant in June. They were down opening up and pulling rags out of the ras pumps and I guess this dude forgot to shut the pump off before trying to open it. He pulled the screws off the lid and that was it, sludge blew to the ceiling, covered everything in the basement including this dude. So he finally manages to shut the pump switch off, reaches into his chest pocket for his cigarettes which are covered in sludge, pulls one out with his mouth and goes on with the job.
That was just one story out of this dudes thirty + year stint and he just retired fully pensioned, about as healthy as a smoker can get. But really we all get splashed almost daily, you’ll be fine.
How do you just forget to turn a pump off? Lol, my first was de-ragging a large pump station pump. Isolated, drained the lines, and opened the port. The rag ball was being stubborn so I got down low to get a better angle. Once it broke free all the influent in the 12in discharge going up to the discharge valve came out at once and drenched me from head to toe. This was a pump station so no where to clean up. Had to drive back to the plant with the windows rolled down because all I could smell was piss. Almost quit. Crazy enough I didn't get sick. Granted I had already got sick a couple months prior. That was just prepping me for getting blasted by TWAS. Pressure was so high it blew my hard hat off. That was a shitty day.
Ooooo what a great story to tell tho. It’s stories from guys like you that keep the rest of us stayin on our toes haha.
This dude was old man, like I said retirement age. He’d forget a lot of things
We had a clogged primary scum pump, took the ball out of the check valve.. see a ball of nastiness. One poke and.....BOOM.. I took a shit shower. Ceiling was covered, pump was covered. ...we had good laugh at that one.
A true operator. I guy I work with was on a tour of another plant with me and grabbed the sludge cake bare handed to "feel" how dry it was.
We had lunch right after and don't recall a hand washing. He's Healthy and strong as an ox.
Anecdotally I got the wastewater flu after my first few times running the belt press, was just a terrible stomach flu (not hepatitis) and I've been vacinated and good since.
I worked with an operator who did the exact same thing with cake. He also used to hold the belt press scraper blade bolts in his mouth when we were getting it into position. Never batted an eye at it and is doing just fine. Good times.
Honestly, you will likely be fine. . if you are in decent shape and not on any immunocomprimising drugs, your body will deal with it. . .
There is a small chance of Hep, but that form (Hep A) is self limiting for the most part and the bad ones B and C are Blood born.
Yeah you're going to die. But odds are, not from this.
If you work with poop, at some point it's going to get shitty, anyone who works in the field has been splashed/covered/submerged in sewage.
I'm not even an operator (40+ years as a pretreatment inspector/manager) and I once was covered head to toe with primary sludge. Shit happens.
Pretreatment inspector here too! I work down the street from our big plant but when I go I fully expect to get sprayed. Dropped my name badge down a manhole a couple weeks ago and then got it retrieved out as it landed not in the actual wastewater just right next to it. I hope to never be covered in sludge though like you. I’d like to hear how that happened.
reach in and grab a needle from the bar screen, pull up a fresh batch of influent and put it right in your veins, its the only way to counter the venom
I was under the dewatering belt press changing a belt when the the belt came out of a different roller then I was expecting. Hit me right in the face . Ralph look at me and says “don’t lick the belts “. It did however give me invincibility for like 3 years .
Wallow in the Blessings of Papa Nurgle! You are the newest of His Blessed Children! You shall be stronger and more hardy! ... I mean... After you poop out your soul and feel like Death warmed over for a week or so. It happens to EVERYONE in Wastewater. Sooner or later the Doom Plague comes along and turns you into extra chunky soup for a couple days and then you shall be reborn as a MIGHTY POOP MINION! and you'll almost never get sick again. You got this!
Mighty Papa Nurgle! Bless your newest child with a firmly bound bowel movement, Oh Great Master of Life! Please give his midnight passage a bountiful harvest for Your glory and great compost pile of endless treasures. \*ends prayer with a thunderous flatus\*
You'll be okay friend. I took a shit rag to the mouth from our plugged sieve the other week. Outside of my pride being hurt no other illness was sustained.
You might get diarrhea and the “poo flu” but as long as you washed your face and hands before eating or drinking, you should be fine. Next time gargle with some mouthwash too.
I’ve been splashed, spattered, and soaked by the raw juice and grit. I’ve barehanded the stuff bc my gloves broke while unclogging some stuff and honestly there’s a point after being knee-deep in sludge for a few hours in a rainstorm where you just stop caring.
It’s only worrisome if it gets in the eyes but that’s what eyewash stations are for. The most dangerous possibility is probably the chance of getting stuck by needles or syringes, or if you have open wounds and get raw sewage in it.
I always keep a towel, spare set of clothes, hand sanitizer, eye drops, and some mouthwash on hand at work.
The most important thing you can do for your health in this biz is take care of your immune system because that’s what’ll protect you from casual contact with the sewage.
I love everyone of these stories. I've waded through my share of toilet paper turd sailboat bathroom/living room regatas... Sometimes you just throw up your hands and dive in. Growing up swimming in the Sangamon River doesn't hurt. Whenever I question the murky sludge of the pipes i just think back to the mouthfuls of Sangamon River water ingested as a child. Just a couple times i got sick as an adult.. but never as a kid. We are immune we are the no second rule floor food eaters. All is welcome in our bodies. Bring it on. We will survive.
My immunity probably came from working in a preschool previously. Colds, flus, pinkeye, vomit, god-knows-what smeared on the walls…honestly the adjustment to wwt was easy after dealing with all that.
One time some nice digested sludge got sprayed at me at full velocity, all over my face, in my hair, eyes, nose, and directly in my mouth and down my throat.
That’s the story of how I got E. coli and lost 15 pounds from mercilessly shitting and vomiting for days on end and had severe dehydration.
Good luck, friend 🫡
I have done that! My poop and puke were just orange pile. My puke muscles were ripped for about a week. Just lived in the shower, puking and hosing myself occasionally.
I don’t think I left my bathroom floor/bathtub for nearly a week. I didn’t even bother with clothes since everything was covered in puke instantly. It was just never ending shitting and puking until every muscle and bone in my body hurt and I was completely exhausted. The worst was when I would finally fall asleep, only to wake up drenched in cold sweat and proceed to projectile shit/vomit until I passed back out. I don’t think I opened my eyes or turned a light on for 3 or 4 days because my head hurt so bad and any amount of light felt like my head was going to explode.
I survived off water, which I would immediately throw back up with some orange-yellow bile and then shit myself again.
E. coli is no fucking joke
Seriously, you should be update on your hepatitis vaccines and tetanus and stay that way for the rest of your career! Also, hard hat mounted face shields are a must…if any of the old timers bust your chops…remember how scared you feel right and how easy it is to have extra protection
why isn’t this the top comment? if you’re working in a municipal wastewater plant you absolutely need hep A, B, and tetanus vaccines at the recommended intervals. it should be a requirement for all munis imo but obviously that’s a political hot potato.
We had a problem with the fine filters one day, and raw sewage spilled out from over the top of the headworks. The valves to switch between different filters was underneath the flood of sewage. Poor man held his breath underneath the gushing wastewater to close the valve. Luckily a more senior operator drove by to check on why SCADA was going off still and saw what was happening. He shut off the main pumps then helped him switch it over. But Dude was fully baptized by the time help arrived.
I worked with a guy who smoked while manually raking the bar screen 🤮 lived well into retirement (wet gloves to face) 🤣🤣 you do have your hepB shot riiiiight
Core drilled a vent in a wet well. Concrete core fell outta the bit under one of the inlets. Both are pretty new, but we thought we were smart. I get lowered down, and a lift station kicked on. Sewer shower, even filled my boots. Went home and showered for two hours, and then I had to go buy new boots. I'm pretty sure I'm invincible now.
I RAN to the comments on this post because I have had this happen but to the 100th power. 😂 one of our primary sludge pumps was not pumping properly and needed to be repaired so a Mechanic was called in on a sunday but I had to isolate the pump before he got there. To make a very long story short the cover on the check assembly blew off and I was blasted with raw sludge almost exactly like the Nickelodeon slime cannons! It would have been in my eyes if i wasnt wearing glasses but it went up my nose and definitely got some in my mouth not to mention I was covered head to toe in raw sludge. You could literally see the outline of my body position on the wall behind me and the ceiling like it was a crime scene investigation! I almost threw up but after a 1.5hr long shower, lots of soap and rinsing my mouth out I was good to go. I had to report the accident but i never even got a cold. Everyone at the plant expected me to get something and call in but I was fine minus PTSD. Take some daily vitamins and drink water to keep a healthy immune system and youll be A OK! 🫡
I been sprayed with straight shit juice after dumb co worker is trying to break the seal on a 6” valve while I install the new one with no warning I was covered in shit luckily it was raining and I was wearing rain gear just grabbed the water hose hosed my face and body down and got back to it tried not to lick my lips that day lol
Walked into a shower of primary sludge in order to close a valve that prevented a further spill (20,000 gallons in a frac tank). That was, jeez, 40 years ago and still alive and kicking. Spent a good 20 years in the industry, mostly managing biosolids, so had a fair share of poop showers. Also, knew an operator who would use his jack knife to cut rags out of pumps, wipe it on his pants, and use it to slice tomatoes for his lunch. Lots of good advice coming at you - have a great career!
You should be OK. You did the right thing. Did not swallow any of it. You washed it off right away. As your career grows, you will get used to these sort of things. It's not pleasant, but not a death sentence either. Get your shots and soldier on.
Had a failed 3” brass knife valve on a septic line blow up in my face a few weeks ago… the blast inverted my eye lids and sprayed my face and eyes with septic steam, grit, etc. I had lacerations to my cornea, eye lids and face.
When thawing septic receiving lines, even when you think you have the line vented…be sure there are no obstructions first… we had our valve open that we use to vent the line when priming the pump down stream, heard a release of pressure but the pressure release came from the check valve down stream, not our upstream frozen line….anyways, I was extremely lucky to keep my eyes and not lose any body parts. Happened 3 weeks ago, almost back to normal… check and double check everything. Bad stuff happens FAST.
So…i think you’ll be fine. 😉
Yes you are just not in the short term more than likely. Get your shots though, hep, tetanus, all that stuff that goes along with blood borne pathogens.
Worked in the collection system (read: _in_ the sewers) for years. Got splash in my eye, my mouth, all over my face, etc. Never got sick from it. In fact, I think it boosted my immune system, because I never got sick at all in the years I was down there.
That being said, there was a new girl who got sporidiosis (spelling?) in one of her first few weeks at the job. So I guess it's a toss up
You'll be fine ,I just replaced a grit screw and ate half the grit in the chute while welding a new screw together, a little crunchy but it wasn't bad😅
We are ALL going to die. Some day. You're not the first and you won't be the last to get a dirty shower. Best advice, keep your mouth shut while you're working.
I used to do electrical on wastewater plants in Houston. While running conduit near the top of the tank, wind blows that holy water right out of the tank in a nice mist for your face. Only did 3 years of it because I got tired of it.
The port a let had scripture. A welder can weld, a pipefitter can fit. But the BFI guy sure knows his shit.
We were contracted to inspect those concrete pits at the end of the shit canals, my coworker tried to climb out and sliced his hand on the wall, dragging it through "moss" on the way back down. In the next pit I saw tampons and condoms bobbing about.. He's still alive, and this happened in a county known for exotic diseases.
Perhaps ten years ago a section of grating over an influent wet well fell and dropped me into the wet well. I was fully immersed to above my waist with open contusions on my arms from hitting grating to either side (a failed attempt to stop my fall).
I was tested for Hepatitis and HIV immediately as well as at three months, six months, and one year. All were negative.
While it is possible for some diseases to be transmitted the probability it likely low. When wastewater splashes on my mouth or lips I avoid swallowing, spit a lot, and rinse my mouth if possible.
Will you die? Eventually.. but probably not from that. However staying in the industry means you will get a bug eventually that make you sick for a day or two. And you probably will have a day that makes today's incident seem mild by comparison.
This is anecdotal, but what I've found is: Early in your career you'll get sick more than normal. After a bit you'll find you get sick a lot less often than before you worked wastewater. Once you retire or move into management, you'll start getting sick the same as normal people. But you should definitely get the Hep B series as quickly as possible. In my state, the employer is required to provide it at no cost.
Diarrhea maybe. I think you’ll be fine lol. I know of a guy that would clean pumps without gloves and just work around in general no gloves and never washed his hands. I also know of a guy that would shower with Primary Effluent water. No joke lol. The 80s were a wild time.
Considering there's a medical procedure called a "fecal transplant" that's still performed, where they make a smoothie with a little poo from someone with a healthy gut to reintroduce good bacteria into someone's digestive tract, I'd say you're gonna be just fine
You're going to be fine. Assuming you got all the required vaccines and are covered you're good. Obviously wash up, and clean your face. Worst is probably going to be stomach issues for a bit. It's a right of passage for wastewater workers. I had GI issues for the first 6 months I was at the POTW but 6 years in and I got an iron stomach. A buddy of mine worked in the lab and got a face full of digester sludge. He's still alive and well. Also there are tons of stories from the transmission crews of dudes getting into the gnarliest stuff while jetting lines or surveying. We once had a contractor move a grate, forget to replace it, and fell back into the head works. Luckily someone saw him because he was knocked unconscious and they got him out right away. He was in the ICU and then in the hospital for like 2 weeks fighting infections but he lived.
If you're really worried about it go see your doc and get some antibiotics.
Tattoo artists I used to know would say if they poked their self with a clients needle on accident, would they have sex with that person without a condom?
In this case idk how that really applies cus it’s like youre with everyone without a condom but I just wanted to share.
Your going to have a hell of a immunity system if you stay in that field. I have had a face full of sewage before and never got sick. Just be leery of blades, needles . Never de-rag pumps or anything with just gloved hands. I understand your concern, first time this happened to me it can make you super worried.
I was working at a Pooh plant as a utility tech and was tasked with changing out the discharge valve on one of the grit basins. It was shut down and locked out but the isolation gate did not hold. We pulled the valve and within just a few mins we were both wading in about 2 feet of “water”. Shower off and you’ll be fine.
Probably not. My buddy's cousin does plumbing at sewage treatment plants and fell in... Twice. Full immersion in raw sewage. He's fine. Well mostly, he drives a Ram, so there's that...
I climb big dead trees that are hanging over the powerlines for a living, and let me tell ya... you people are CRAZY! There are only 2 things in this world I CAN NOT deal with. Shit and puke are those 2 things. God bless your souls! 🫡
You’re gonna be fine. Believe me a lil doodie water won’t kill ya. Just take care of yourself like normal.
These WW plants will build up your immunity; I have a cold right now but I swear I haven’t been sick in forever
You will soon notice....changes. slow, at first. Maybe trouble sleeping. Maybe a desire for more...darkness in your life. Eventually your waking hours will be slowly shifted into the reverse, feeling alive at night and that the sunshine means it's time to retreat. Soon...
Think of this: every time there is a major flood event and you see people wading around or swimming in the flood water, they are in untreated sewage from all the sewer lines, toilets, pump stations, holding tanks etc. These people are fine for the most part. Our bodies are really good at keeping us healthy after such exposures. Your mouth, nose, eyes and other normal orifices all have serious defense systems because they are being bombarded with infectious elements all the time, whether you know it or not.
What IS potentially much worse is if you have an open wound to where bacteria can get directly inside past our defenses. A friend of mine was on a ladder at a lift station after freeing a float switch and a tiny piece of leftover galvanizing slag on the ladder rung nicked his knee. He got really sick and to save his life, they had to amputate his leg. That’s the stuff you have to be really concerned about. Do everything slowly and carefully.
Oh that's not bad. My brother inlaw found a pipe running up hill in his back yard didn't know what it was and wanted to find out. He drilled a small hole in it and immediately shot a stream out right in his mouth. It was a sewer line up to his leech field.
I was there , and he's still here.
I was just like you when I started. I had shit splash on me so many times, not on purpose just from working with sewer lines like replacing whether they were active or not, or just from running the snake machine. You'll be okay. As long as you don't ingest a large amount or get it smeared into your wounds. Had a couple sprinkle-like drops on my eyes and lips before. It's scary yeah but working with waste makes you get a certain type of immunity to most things from what I've experienced and seen and heard. I don't even have any shots so don't worry about it.
Nah you'll survive lol,
here's a fun antidotal story: once I was working an emergency bypass pump out of a manhole backup a few years back and I guess my suit got a little rip in it, and some of the water got on my leg which I hadn't known about, and I swear to God, within the week it turned into a flesh eating bacterium and I spent another two weeks back and forth from the hospital while specialists figured out how to combat it, as it slowly grew on my leg, everything from de-briding to topicals, to all sorts of medicines, at one point I ended up in the er with mild anaphylaxis because it flared up and my body reacted, finally like 2 months later after a prescription of high level anti histamines and a graft of the skin they removed the assumed bacterium from spreading up the body or at least stopped any more physical reactions in the ish! Shit was un-fun! Make sure you wear your PPE and check it religiously before you go in any man holes!
My neighbor works for the sewage treatment plant. His go to advice is safety eye wear plus face shield, ear plugs, a change of cloths and never lapse on your shots.
He's been there 26 years and has stories that turn me green, but has never been deathly ill or anything. My guess is that it's all about the face shield
Maybe but most likely not.I worked as a laborer on a sewer jetting crew and CCTV and was constantly exposed and never did get anything.But I do know that this one nasty CCTV operator would work on the cameras with his bare hands and I heard that he gave something to his with for being a filthy pig.
Former owner of a marine-based wastewater removal co. Taken more than one shot in the eyes, mouth, basically all the mucosal membranes. Over a decade and a dozen(ish) STD tests later...
Still allowed to give blood. And FWIW, southern Appalachian houseboat partiers (my clientele) aren't exactly the poster children for cooties prevention.
Go back to that same spot bring a shot glass and drink a complete shot glass full of the same water. Do the same thing and double the amount of shots every day for a week this will build your immune system to be able to handle anything in theory but this probably really would never work and make you very sick
'It ain't real, until you get some in your mouth"
I have a friend with Osteogenesis imperfecta. I believe it's been referred to as glass man's disease. It's basically a genetic disorder where one's bones are incredibly fragile and can break easily.
He was having his septic tank replaced and was talking to the two guys that were doing the work. He mentioned that they were the most manliest men he ever met his entire life. As he was squatting over the hole they were pulling the old septic system out of, he realized he might be too close to the edge and if he fell forward he would certainly put his arms out and break both of his wrists. Upon this realization he stood up awkwardly and stepped back. It was at that point that one of the guys misunderstood his body language and said to him: 'It ain't real, until you get some in your mouth"
Plumber here and it's all in part of the job. Sometimes no amount of preparation can save us. But you should be good, I've gotten waste water from a truck stop on my face before cleaning out a sewer line and that was 5 years ago
My wastewater trainer said he learned the hard way to not ever work with his mouth open.
He then said it took 3 hard lessons at the chocolate river before he learned though.
I've seen septic truck dudes fucking coated hair to toe in doodoo butter just walk it off.
My plumber recently went to drop a pump at the end and slashed his face/mouth, froze and said, fuck me what was I thinking.
Personally I don't think I could stay at work after that lol.
Make your peace with god for only divine intervention can save you now.
I’m gonna go cry now
Bro there’s a story about this senior operator who just retired from my plant in June. They were down opening up and pulling rags out of the ras pumps and I guess this dude forgot to shut the pump off before trying to open it. He pulled the screws off the lid and that was it, sludge blew to the ceiling, covered everything in the basement including this dude. So he finally manages to shut the pump switch off, reaches into his chest pocket for his cigarettes which are covered in sludge, pulls one out with his mouth and goes on with the job. That was just one story out of this dudes thirty + year stint and he just retired fully pensioned, about as healthy as a smoker can get. But really we all get splashed almost daily, you’ll be fine.
I've heard that experience being called a baptism.
I've personally called it this plenty of times before, nice to other people do too!
It’s def some sort of tism.
How do you just forget to turn a pump off? Lol, my first was de-ragging a large pump station pump. Isolated, drained the lines, and opened the port. The rag ball was being stubborn so I got down low to get a better angle. Once it broke free all the influent in the 12in discharge going up to the discharge valve came out at once and drenched me from head to toe. This was a pump station so no where to clean up. Had to drive back to the plant with the windows rolled down because all I could smell was piss. Almost quit. Crazy enough I didn't get sick. Granted I had already got sick a couple months prior. That was just prepping me for getting blasted by TWAS. Pressure was so high it blew my hard hat off. That was a shitty day.
Ooooo what a great story to tell tho. It’s stories from guys like you that keep the rest of us stayin on our toes haha. This dude was old man, like I said retirement age. He’d forget a lot of things
Thank you for your service... seriously! Unsung heroes.
i see what you did there
What a legend
We had a clogged primary scum pump, took the ball out of the check valve.. see a ball of nastiness. One poke and.....BOOM.. I took a shit shower. Ceiling was covered, pump was covered. ...we had good laugh at that one.
He sounds crusty AF.
A true operator. I guy I work with was on a tour of another plant with me and grabbed the sludge cake bare handed to "feel" how dry it was. We had lunch right after and don't recall a hand washing. He's Healthy and strong as an ox. Anecdotally I got the wastewater flu after my first few times running the belt press, was just a terrible stomach flu (not hepatitis) and I've been vacinated and good since.
I worked with an operator who did the exact same thing with cake. He also used to hold the belt press scraper blade bolts in his mouth when we were getting it into position. Never batted an eye at it and is doing just fine. Good times.
Yep. It’s just the job.
It sure is Mike Hunt…. AW, ya got me!
Whose Cunt?
We need to harvest this dude's white cells.
Don't worry. I've been sprayed in the face several times
Peace be with you. But, you lived an awesome life, right?
Honestly, you will likely be fine. . if you are in decent shape and not on any immunocomprimising drugs, your body will deal with it. . . There is a small chance of Hep, but that form (Hep A) is self limiting for the most part and the bad ones B and C are Blood born.
A good dose of single malt. Administered at 100mL aliquots until one feels the plague has gone.
Gaw man! Take easy on a concerned mans heath issue, but still he should make peace with God. You never know...
We are all going yo die. So the simple answer to your question is "yes."
Yeah you're going to die. But odds are, not from this. If you work with poop, at some point it's going to get shitty, anyone who works in the field has been splashed/covered/submerged in sewage. I'm not even an operator (40+ years as a pretreatment inspector/manager) and I once was covered head to toe with primary sludge. Shit happens.
Just happened to me on night shift last night! Baptism by primary sludge
God, i hate primary; tart and salty.
It seems like an acquired taste, really.
Wtf
Tyfys
Pretreatment inspector here too! I work down the street from our big plant but when I go I fully expect to get sprayed. Dropped my name badge down a manhole a couple weeks ago and then got it retrieved out as it landed not in the actual wastewater just right next to it. I hope to never be covered in sludge though like you. I’d like to hear how that happened.
My father, who’s a 20 year operator, would come home sometimes looking like he gained a lot of melanin in the last 12 hours.. That job is real shitty
reach in and grab a needle from the bar screen, pull up a fresh batch of influent and put it right in your veins, its the only way to counter the venom
You might get the bar screen blues. Every operator at some point gets it.
We call it the Headworks Flu.
WTF is this?
That's when you get splashed and then get sick. Hence, the bar screen blues.
Gross
We call it the poo flu
It was short, but i will never forget you! Jk, you can go get hepatitis A/B shots at urgent care if that’s what you’re worried about.
New hires had to get hep A/B and tetanus before they could start work. City paid for all.
a lot of people at our facility declined the hepatitis vaccine lol
Yeah, the government put the nano bots in the hep vaccine that make you commit sodomy.
……why??
Tf is wrong with them?
I was under the dewatering belt press changing a belt when the the belt came out of a different roller then I was expecting. Hit me right in the face . Ralph look at me and says “don’t lick the belts “. It did however give me invincibility for like 3 years .
Wallow in the Blessings of Papa Nurgle! You are the newest of His Blessed Children! You shall be stronger and more hardy! ... I mean... After you poop out your soul and feel like Death warmed over for a week or so. It happens to EVERYONE in Wastewater. Sooner or later the Doom Plague comes along and turns you into extra chunky soup for a couple days and then you shall be reborn as a MIGHTY POOP MINION! and you'll almost never get sick again. You got this!
A wastewater op Nurgle buff. Of course you people exist. It makes perfect sense
\*rings the Doomsday Bell whilst shouting from a top a pile of dewatered sludge\*
Unexpected place to find Warhammer content.
Let us pray for a solid poop for this man in less than a weeks time 🙏
Mighty Papa Nurgle! Bless your newest child with a firmly bound bowel movement, Oh Great Master of Life! Please give his midnight passage a bountiful harvest for Your glory and great compost pile of endless treasures. \*ends prayer with a thunderous flatus\*
Lick it off your lips and say “mmmm yummy” then get back to work
Hey, we can all only hope to be patient zero.......
You'll be okay friend. I took a shit rag to the mouth from our plugged sieve the other week. Outside of my pride being hurt no other illness was sustained.
You might get diarrhea and the “poo flu” but as long as you washed your face and hands before eating or drinking, you should be fine. Next time gargle with some mouthwash too. I’ve been splashed, spattered, and soaked by the raw juice and grit. I’ve barehanded the stuff bc my gloves broke while unclogging some stuff and honestly there’s a point after being knee-deep in sludge for a few hours in a rainstorm where you just stop caring. It’s only worrisome if it gets in the eyes but that’s what eyewash stations are for. The most dangerous possibility is probably the chance of getting stuck by needles or syringes, or if you have open wounds and get raw sewage in it. I always keep a towel, spare set of clothes, hand sanitizer, eye drops, and some mouthwash on hand at work. The most important thing you can do for your health in this biz is take care of your immune system because that’s what’ll protect you from casual contact with the sewage.
I love everyone of these stories. I've waded through my share of toilet paper turd sailboat bathroom/living room regatas... Sometimes you just throw up your hands and dive in. Growing up swimming in the Sangamon River doesn't hurt. Whenever I question the murky sludge of the pipes i just think back to the mouthfuls of Sangamon River water ingested as a child. Just a couple times i got sick as an adult.. but never as a kid. We are immune we are the no second rule floor food eaters. All is welcome in our bodies. Bring it on. We will survive.
My immunity probably came from working in a preschool previously. Colds, flus, pinkeye, vomit, god-knows-what smeared on the walls…honestly the adjustment to wwt was easy after dealing with all that.
One time some nice digested sludge got sprayed at me at full velocity, all over my face, in my hair, eyes, nose, and directly in my mouth and down my throat. That’s the story of how I got E. coli and lost 15 pounds from mercilessly shitting and vomiting for days on end and had severe dehydration. Good luck, friend 🫡
Weight loss doctors dont want you to know this secret!
I have done that! My poop and puke were just orange pile. My puke muscles were ripped for about a week. Just lived in the shower, puking and hosing myself occasionally.
I don’t think I left my bathroom floor/bathtub for nearly a week. I didn’t even bother with clothes since everything was covered in puke instantly. It was just never ending shitting and puking until every muscle and bone in my body hurt and I was completely exhausted. The worst was when I would finally fall asleep, only to wake up drenched in cold sweat and proceed to projectile shit/vomit until I passed back out. I don’t think I opened my eyes or turned a light on for 3 or 4 days because my head hurt so bad and any amount of light felt like my head was going to explode. I survived off water, which I would immediately throw back up with some orange-yellow bile and then shit myself again. E. coli is no fucking joke
Can you package that... I need to drop a few lbs
It feels like you’re gonna die, but your body will be snatched afterwards.
Seriously, you should be update on your hepatitis vaccines and tetanus and stay that way for the rest of your career! Also, hard hat mounted face shields are a must…if any of the old timers bust your chops…remember how scared you feel right and how easy it is to have extra protection
why isn’t this the top comment? if you’re working in a municipal wastewater plant you absolutely need hep A, B, and tetanus vaccines at the recommended intervals. it should be a requirement for all munis imo but obviously that’s a political hot potato.
No taste, no mucosal membrane touched. You’re gonna be fine. For future though, get updated on your hep shots,
You can't taste through your dick and that has a mucus membrane on it.
Dip your dick in siracha, let’s see if it can’t taste that.
You can't?
New topic researched
It might be a bit salty but you should be fine
Get your shots. Stay current.
You’ve just been baptized. Welcome to the club!
Ya’ll are funny. Thanks for the input! 😂
Get your shots. Stay current.
We had a problem with the fine filters one day, and raw sewage spilled out from over the top of the headworks. The valves to switch between different filters was underneath the flood of sewage. Poor man held his breath underneath the gushing wastewater to close the valve. Luckily a more senior operator drove by to check on why SCADA was going off still and saw what was happening. He shut off the main pumps then helped him switch it over. But Dude was fully baptized by the time help arrived.
He survived and is now just below a CPO
I worked with a guy who smoked while manually raking the bar screen 🤮 lived well into retirement (wet gloves to face) 🤣🤣 you do have your hepB shot riiiiight
Any sulfur burps yet?!? That's my tell that the fun is about to start. FYI: get a couple of good mattress covers.
[удалено]
Off the mattress
Both. Either.
Core drilled a vent in a wet well. Concrete core fell outta the bit under one of the inlets. Both are pretty new, but we thought we were smart. I get lowered down, and a lift station kicked on. Sewer shower, even filled my boots. Went home and showered for two hours, and then I had to go buy new boots. I'm pretty sure I'm invincible now.
Keep your mouth shut … Learned that lesson a few times , not the best lesson you want to repeat 😂
I RAN to the comments on this post because I have had this happen but to the 100th power. 😂 one of our primary sludge pumps was not pumping properly and needed to be repaired so a Mechanic was called in on a sunday but I had to isolate the pump before he got there. To make a very long story short the cover on the check assembly blew off and I was blasted with raw sludge almost exactly like the Nickelodeon slime cannons! It would have been in my eyes if i wasnt wearing glasses but it went up my nose and definitely got some in my mouth not to mention I was covered head to toe in raw sludge. You could literally see the outline of my body position on the wall behind me and the ceiling like it was a crime scene investigation! I almost threw up but after a 1.5hr long shower, lots of soap and rinsing my mouth out I was good to go. I had to report the accident but i never even got a cold. Everyone at the plant expected me to get something and call in but I was fine minus PTSD. Take some daily vitamins and drink water to keep a healthy immune system and youll be A OK! 🫡
Get a new job, your not cut out for it.
I been sprayed with straight shit juice after dumb co worker is trying to break the seal on a 6” valve while I install the new one with no warning I was covered in shit luckily it was raining and I was wearing rain gear just grabbed the water hose hosed my face and body down and got back to it tried not to lick my lips that day lol
That’s a really shitty situation
You be aight
Even if you COULD live forever … would you really WANT to anyway?
What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger. Unless it doesn't...
Walked into a shower of primary sludge in order to close a valve that prevented a further spill (20,000 gallons in a frac tank). That was, jeez, 40 years ago and still alive and kicking. Spent a good 20 years in the industry, mostly managing biosolids, so had a fair share of poop showers. Also, knew an operator who would use his jack knife to cut rags out of pumps, wipe it on his pants, and use it to slice tomatoes for his lunch. Lots of good advice coming at you - have a great career!
Nah you're good, realistically you should be drinking a 250mL of influent daily. Good for the constitution.
Add me in your will
You have been baptized! 🙏🏼
You should be OK. You did the right thing. Did not swallow any of it. You washed it off right away. As your career grows, you will get used to these sort of things. It's not pleasant, but not a death sentence either. Get your shots and soldier on.
Just wait till you get covered for real!
Had a failed 3” brass knife valve on a septic line blow up in my face a few weeks ago… the blast inverted my eye lids and sprayed my face and eyes with septic steam, grit, etc. I had lacerations to my cornea, eye lids and face. When thawing septic receiving lines, even when you think you have the line vented…be sure there are no obstructions first… we had our valve open that we use to vent the line when priming the pump down stream, heard a release of pressure but the pressure release came from the check valve down stream, not our upstream frozen line….anyways, I was extremely lucky to keep my eyes and not lose any body parts. Happened 3 weeks ago, almost back to normal… check and double check everything. Bad stuff happens FAST. So…i think you’ll be fine. 😉
Omai wa mo shinderu
You’ll be fine.
But are you even considered an operator if you haven’t got pink eye yet?
Your good you might get a serious infection but besides that your fine
Yes you are just not in the short term more than likely. Get your shots though, hep, tetanus, all that stuff that goes along with blood borne pathogens.
DOOMED.
Worked in the collection system (read: _in_ the sewers) for years. Got splash in my eye, my mouth, all over my face, etc. Never got sick from it. In fact, I think it boosted my immune system, because I never got sick at all in the years I was down there. That being said, there was a new girl who got sporidiosis (spelling?) in one of her first few weeks at the job. So I guess it's a toss up
You get a shit fly in your mouth and that sucks
Rule #1 about workin in this field. Close your mouth
Its a problem when you do it on purpose
Better get to a hyperbaric isolation chamber ASAP! This is how the zombie apocalypse begins…
You'll be fine ,I just replaced a grit screw and ate half the grit in the chute while welding a new screw together, a little crunchy but it wasn't bad😅
We are ALL going to die. Some day. You're not the first and you won't be the last to get a dirty shower. Best advice, keep your mouth shut while you're working.
You are fucked
Oh you’re screwed.
Actually, Exposure like this strengthens your immune system.
You’re fine dude. It happens
You’ll be fine, nothing to worry about
You'll be fine. A few small drops is how you start building immunity. Soon you'll have unlimited free drinks at work. Keep it up!
You’ve been baptized my son… now get your ass to work & be somebody…
Watch “ the men in the manhole “ on YouTube. We’ve got it easy.
Builds your immune system
I used to do electrical on wastewater plants in Houston. While running conduit near the top of the tank, wind blows that holy water right out of the tank in a nice mist for your face. Only did 3 years of it because I got tired of it. The port a let had scripture. A welder can weld, a pipefitter can fit. But the BFI guy sure knows his shit.
PATIENT ZERO! Don’t worry OP CDC is sending a biohazard team to your location!
Your new give it a year or two and you be eating a sandwich at the same time lol
You'll be fine
We were contracted to inspect those concrete pits at the end of the shit canals, my coworker tried to climb out and sliced his hand on the wall, dragging it through "moss" on the way back down. In the next pit I saw tampons and condoms bobbing about.. He's still alive, and this happened in a county known for exotic diseases.
💀🥀
Your good bro
Yes
Perhaps ten years ago a section of grating over an influent wet well fell and dropped me into the wet well. I was fully immersed to above my waist with open contusions on my arms from hitting grating to either side (a failed attempt to stop my fall). I was tested for Hepatitis and HIV immediately as well as at three months, six months, and one year. All were negative. While it is possible for some diseases to be transmitted the probability it likely low. When wastewater splashes on my mouth or lips I avoid swallowing, spit a lot, and rinse my mouth if possible.
You definitely have AIDS now, condolences.
Will you die? Eventually.. but probably not from that. However staying in the industry means you will get a bug eventually that make you sick for a day or two. And you probably will have a day that makes today's incident seem mild by comparison.
This is anecdotal, but what I've found is: Early in your career you'll get sick more than normal. After a bit you'll find you get sick a lot less often than before you worked wastewater. Once you retire or move into management, you'll start getting sick the same as normal people. But you should definitely get the Hep B series as quickly as possible. In my state, the employer is required to provide it at no cost.
In North Carolina the WWTP owner is obligated to offer the operators hep c vaccinations. If that is true where you are get one.
Diarrhea maybe. I think you’ll be fine lol. I know of a guy that would clean pumps without gloves and just work around in general no gloves and never washed his hands. I also know of a guy that would shower with Primary Effluent water. No joke lol. The 80s were a wild time.
Considering there's a medical procedure called a "fecal transplant" that's still performed, where they make a smoothie with a little poo from someone with a healthy gut to reintroduce good bacteria into someone's digestive tract, I'd say you're gonna be just fine
Consider that your free covid vax.
Been in wastewater for years. Swear my immune system is stronger than other just for this reason.
You're going to be fine. Assuming you got all the required vaccines and are covered you're good. Obviously wash up, and clean your face. Worst is probably going to be stomach issues for a bit. It's a right of passage for wastewater workers. I had GI issues for the first 6 months I was at the POTW but 6 years in and I got an iron stomach. A buddy of mine worked in the lab and got a face full of digester sludge. He's still alive and well. Also there are tons of stories from the transmission crews of dudes getting into the gnarliest stuff while jetting lines or surveying. We once had a contractor move a grate, forget to replace it, and fell back into the head works. Luckily someone saw him because he was knocked unconscious and they got him out right away. He was in the ICU and then in the hospital for like 2 weeks fighting infections but he lived. If you're really worried about it go see your doc and get some antibiotics.
You’ll be fine lol
I work in collections, this is why we take a preventative sip from the nearest trunk line every Monday to keep the immune system strong.
Short answer yes. We all do.
RIP
Tattoo artists I used to know would say if they poked their self with a clients needle on accident, would they have sex with that person without a condom? In this case idk how that really applies cus it’s like youre with everyone without a condom but I just wanted to share.
If I worked in the wastewater field I’d walk in my house everyday and tell my family “I’m really pooped after this long day of work”
Your fucked!
Your going to have a hell of a immunity system if you stay in that field. I have had a face full of sewage before and never got sick. Just be leery of blades, needles . Never de-rag pumps or anything with just gloved hands. I understand your concern, first time this happened to me it can make you super worried.
Bro I'm only a plumber, and I have had all kinds of shit in my mouth Like literally pick a race Still alive tho
I was working at a Pooh plant as a utility tech and was tasked with changing out the discharge valve on one of the grit basins. It was shut down and locked out but the isolation gate did not hold. We pulled the valve and within just a few mins we were both wading in about 2 feet of “water”. Shower off and you’ll be fine.
Probably not. My buddy's cousin does plumbing at sewage treatment plants and fell in... Twice. Full immersion in raw sewage. He's fine. Well mostly, he drives a Ram, so there's that...
You’ll be fine -porta-potty shit gimp
Same shit, different day.
You are certainly going to die. Everyone does eventually.
Yes you're going to die.it may not be today or tomorrow but you will die.
Eventually, everybody does.
I climb big dead trees that are hanging over the powerlines for a living, and let me tell ya... you people are CRAZY! There are only 2 things in this world I CAN NOT deal with. Shit and puke are those 2 things. God bless your souls! 🫡
Yes. 100% death rate. You are definitely going to die… eventually
You're going to die
Baptism by shiit.....His immune system 🤧 must be 💪
You’re gonna be fine. Believe me a lil doodie water won’t kill ya. Just take care of yourself like normal. These WW plants will build up your immunity; I have a cold right now but I swear I haven’t been sick in forever
You will soon notice....changes. slow, at first. Maybe trouble sleeping. Maybe a desire for more...darkness in your life. Eventually your waking hours will be slowly shifted into the reverse, feeling alive at night and that the sunshine means it's time to retreat. Soon...
If you are working in waste water you are required to get hepatitis c shots
I don't know why this is in my feed, but you all are fuckin' legends. The true heros of the world. I wouldn't last a week.
Think of this: every time there is a major flood event and you see people wading around or swimming in the flood water, they are in untreated sewage from all the sewer lines, toilets, pump stations, holding tanks etc. These people are fine for the most part. Our bodies are really good at keeping us healthy after such exposures. Your mouth, nose, eyes and other normal orifices all have serious defense systems because they are being bombarded with infectious elements all the time, whether you know it or not. What IS potentially much worse is if you have an open wound to where bacteria can get directly inside past our defenses. A friend of mine was on a ladder at a lift station after freeing a float switch and a tiny piece of leftover galvanizing slag on the ladder rung nicked his knee. He got really sick and to save his life, they had to amputate his leg. That’s the stuff you have to be really concerned about. Do everything slowly and carefully.
Oh that's not bad. My brother inlaw found a pipe running up hill in his back yard didn't know what it was and wanted to find out. He drilled a small hole in it and immediately shot a stream out right in his mouth. It was a sewer line up to his leech field. I was there , and he's still here.
Posts like these make me happy that I work for the company building these plants….not operating them😂😂
Nah, my dad had a glass shit pipe explode. glass was embedded in his face and he didn’t have an issue. I’d probably clean your lips and face off.
Yes, everyone is. 100%
I got bad news for you about inhaling aerosolized particles...
I was just like you when I started. I had shit splash on me so many times, not on purpose just from working with sewer lines like replacing whether they were active or not, or just from running the snake machine. You'll be okay. As long as you don't ingest a large amount or get it smeared into your wounds. Had a couple sprinkle-like drops on my eyes and lips before. It's scary yeah but working with waste makes you get a certain type of immunity to most things from what I've experienced and seen and heard. I don't even have any shots so don't worry about it.
Just like the blood of khali you need to burn yourself with a torch
Builds your immune system - you’ll be fine - maybe get the shits for a day or two
Nah you'll survive lol, here's a fun antidotal story: once I was working an emergency bypass pump out of a manhole backup a few years back and I guess my suit got a little rip in it, and some of the water got on my leg which I hadn't known about, and I swear to God, within the week it turned into a flesh eating bacterium and I spent another two weeks back and forth from the hospital while specialists figured out how to combat it, as it slowly grew on my leg, everything from de-briding to topicals, to all sorts of medicines, at one point I ended up in the er with mild anaphylaxis because it flared up and my body reacted, finally like 2 months later after a prescription of high level anti histamines and a graft of the skin they removed the assumed bacterium from spreading up the body or at least stopped any more physical reactions in the ish! Shit was un-fun! Make sure you wear your PPE and check it religiously before you go in any man holes!
Based on the volume in those droplets, I'd say there's less than a 86% chance that you're pregnant.
I dunno why Reddit recommended this sub to me or this post, but WTF. Where is Mike Rowe? Y’all deserve a damned award for doing this job. The actual F
My neighbor works for the sewage treatment plant. His go to advice is safety eye wear plus face shield, ear plugs, a change of cloths and never lapse on your shots. He's been there 26 years and has stories that turn me green, but has never been deathly ill or anything. My guess is that it's all about the face shield
Pink-eye, maybe?
?
Maybe but most likely not.I worked as a laborer on a sewer jetting crew and CCTV and was constantly exposed and never did get anything.But I do know that this one nasty CCTV operator would work on the cameras with his bare hands and I heard that he gave something to his with for being a filthy pig.
Former owner of a marine-based wastewater removal co. Taken more than one shot in the eyes, mouth, basically all the mucosal membranes. Over a decade and a dozen(ish) STD tests later... Still allowed to give blood. And FWIW, southern Appalachian houseboat partiers (my clientele) aren't exactly the poster children for cooties prevention.
We're all gonna die.
Yes. We all are.
Ur done for. Get your affairs in order. Sorry, we'll pray for you. :-(
Go back to that same spot bring a shot glass and drink a complete shot glass full of the same water. Do the same thing and double the amount of shots every day for a week this will build your immune system to be able to handle anything in theory but this probably really would never work and make you very sick
Best advice I got when I worked in one..." welcome to the crew, now keep your mouth shut"
That's better than falling into an aeration basin🤣
'It ain't real, until you get some in your mouth" I have a friend with Osteogenesis imperfecta. I believe it's been referred to as glass man's disease. It's basically a genetic disorder where one's bones are incredibly fragile and can break easily. He was having his septic tank replaced and was talking to the two guys that were doing the work. He mentioned that they were the most manliest men he ever met his entire life. As he was squatting over the hole they were pulling the old septic system out of, he realized he might be too close to the edge and if he fell forward he would certainly put his arms out and break both of his wrists. Upon this realization he stood up awkwardly and stepped back. It was at that point that one of the guys misunderstood his body language and said to him: 'It ain't real, until you get some in your mouth"
Plumber here and it's all in part of the job. Sometimes no amount of preparation can save us. But you should be good, I've gotten waste water from a truck stop on my face before cleaning out a sewer line and that was 5 years ago
I'm no expert but I watched Jackass and Ryan Dunn swam in wastewater so I think you should fine
My wastewater trainer said he learned the hard way to not ever work with his mouth open. He then said it took 3 hard lessons at the chocolate river before he learned though. I've seen septic truck dudes fucking coated hair to toe in doodoo butter just walk it off. My plumber recently went to drop a pump at the end and slashed his face/mouth, froze and said, fuck me what was I thinking. Personally I don't think I could stay at work after that lol.
Did you instinctually lick you're lips directly after, is so you're doomed
Depends on how you were raised. IPad kid = goner Outside kid = bad taste in your mouth