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Do You Know How Water Damage Is Classified? | SERVPRO® of North Kenosha County
2/25/2019 (Permalink)
Clean, gray or black water?
Do You Know How Water Damage Is Classified? | SERVPRO® of North Kenosha County - SERVPRO OF NORTH KENOSHA COUNTY Blog
When there is a flood, it is easy to think that all water causing damage is the same. However, that is not the case because there are three different classifications of water involved with flooding: clean, gray and black. It is a good idea to understand the differences in these types of water so that you can understand how to handle the situation.
The most important thing you need to do after a water damage situation is remove all moisture and damp items quickly to inhibit the growth of mold. Understand, too, that no matter what type of water has caused damage, there will always be a cleanup and restoration process that follows.
Much like the name indicates, this water is considered “clean” because it is not the type to pose an immediate health threat. This water is free of contaminants and can come from:
- Broken water lines
- Malfunctioning appliances
- Toilet holding tanks
- Snow melt and rainwater
If this is the type of water that is involved in a water damage situation, it will be the easiest type of water damage to clean up after as there will be fewer microbes living in the water. That will not be true, however, after 48 hours and following contact with the surfaces of a building, as clean water can move up to category two, which is gray water.
In a gray water situation, water damage cleanup and restoration becomes a bit more serious. Gray water will contain slight contamination from chemical or biological elements and may pose a health risk. The slight contamination involved with gray water means that it will need to be thoroughly treated before being safe to consume.
Gray water is the type of water that can come from dishwashers, aquariums, showers, etc. Here also, the 48-hour exposure time applies, since gray water will become black water if not quickly and properly treated.
Black water poses the highest danger and is the most serious of the three classifications because it is considered highly contaminated by harmful chemicals and biological matter. This would include floodwaters that contain soil and sewage waters.
Sewage is highly contaminated with microbes, including bacteria, protozoans, molds, fungi and more, which pose a great health risk to humans.
Some of the diseases that can be transmitted by black water are:
- Cholera
- Typhoid
- Hepatitis
- Gastroenteritis-type illnesses
It is important to remember that when it comes to floods, all waters are to be assumed to be black water since it picks up contaminants along its path.
All of the above classifications of floodwater are recognized by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Remediation Certification (IICRC), which is an organization that certifies and sets the standards for the cleaning and restoration industries. Our technicians all study IICRC standards and best practices in water restoration and are available to help determine the steps to take to get your home back to normal.
It doesn’t matter what type of water has caused damage to your home or business, SERVPRO® of North Kenosha County is here to help get the situation under control and make it "Like it never even happened." Don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you need emergency cleanup and restoration services!