If you have seen the A&E Show “Hoarders” and thought those houses are few and far between, that couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, an estimated 3-5% of the population lives in severely congested environments no different than what you may have seen on TV.
For those of us who specialize in compulsive hoarding and hoarding disorder, we can attest these conservative estimates downplay the reality of hoarding in our villages, towns and major cities. And for the tradespeople — plumbers included — who are inevitably called in to these homes to do everything from make small repairs to replace entire systems, conscientiously staying safe in this unsafe environment must be a top priority.