subject: Free Flood Damage Advice [print this page] The procedures necessary to repair the flood damage will depend on where the water that caused the flooding came from. The steps undertaken for repairing water damage from a rainstorm will be different from those necessary to fix damages from a broken water pipe in your home. Insurance companies and the contractors that repair flood damage separate the type of damage into three categories: category 1, category 2, and category 3. Each category sorts water by its likely source and by the level of likely contaminants it has.
Category 1: Clean water
Category 1 water damage is damage caused by clean water. Clean water is water from a clean source such as the water pipes that supply your home with fresh water, like the kind that lead to your sink, the icemaker in your refrigerator, or your shower. This kind of water contains no harmful chemicals, viruses, bacteria, or fungi. It therefore cannot by itself cause illness in humans or animals. This is the sort of damage that you'd expect from an overflowing sink or bathtub.
Category 2 Grey water
Category 2 damages occur from grey water. Grey water is water that has some degree of contamination and is not safe to drink for this reason. Grey water is water that is tainted to some degree with chemicals or biological waste (except feces). It may also have some microorganisms in it as well. Grey water comes from overflowing toilets (without feces), dishwashers, or washing machines. This type of water damage can make a human ill if caution is not used to during remediation. While grey water won't kill you, it will make you uncomfortable for a few days.
Category 3 Black water
Category 3 water is also known as black water. As the name suggests, this water is contaminated with everything that category 2 water is contaminated with, plus fungi, bacteria, and toxic chemicals. Additionally, it may contain toxic molds. Black water can make you very, very ill, and is very dangerous. Theclean-up of black water damage must be undertaken using protective suits along with other precautions. Black water damage occurs after flooding from bodies of water, sewage system problems, and toilet backups that contain feces. Additionally, even water damage from category 1 and 2 water will become black water damage if it is left untouched for 48 to 72 hours. Any standing water that is left for longer than this period of time is at risk for becoming tainted with harmful contaminants.
As you can see, it is important to begin flood damage repairs quickly, not just for financial reasons but also for health and safety reasons. If you suspect that you have grey or black water contamination, you should contact a water damage restoration company as soon as possible. The sooner they begin the remediation, the quicker you can begin to recover from the flood damage. You will also ensure that neither you nor your family will suffer any ill health effects caused by the floodwaters.
