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Understanding the 3 Floodwater Classifications | SERVPRO of East Brownsville & South Padre Island
9/10/2024 (Permalink)
Keep your home safe from flood damage with these helpful tips from SERVPRO of East Brownsville & South Padre Island!
All water is not created equal when it comes to water damage. There are three different classifications of water: clean, gray and black. When you learn about the differences in these types of water, it will help you better understand how to handle the situation.
There will always be a cleanup and restoration process that will follow a water damage situation no matter what type of water has caused damage. It is important, however, to be quick about removing all of the moisture and damp items to hamper the growth of mold since moisture is its ideal environment.
Much like its name states, clean water is considered just that—clean—and is not the type to pose an immediate threat to your health. This water is free of contaminants and can come from:
- Broken water lines
- Malfunctioning appliances
- Toilet holding tanks
- Snow melt and rainwater
This type of water damage is the easiest type to work with, since you won’t be dealing with many microbes living in the water, but remember, after 48 hours and following contact with the surfaces of a building, clean water will change to gray water.
With gray water, damage cleanup and restoration can become a bit more involved and may pose a health risk as it may contain chemical or biological contamination. The slight contamination in gray water means that the water would have to be thoroughly treated before it is safe for consumption.
Gray water is water that comes from dishwashers, aquariums, showers, etc. Again, the 48-hour exposure rule applies here as well because gray water will turn into black water if not treated.
Black water is the most serious and dangerous of the three classifications and is considered highly contaminated by harmful chemicals and biological matter. This type of water includes floodwaters containing soil and all sewage waters.
Sewage is contaminated with microbes, including bacteria, protozoans, molds, fungi and more—many of which are harmful to humans.
Some of the diseases that can be transmitted by black water are:
- Cholera
- Typhoid
- Hepatitis
- Gastroenteritis-type illnesses
Remember, in a flood situation, it must be assumed that the water involved is black water since it picks up contaminants along its path.
These three different classifications of floodwater are recognized by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Remediation Certification (IICRC), an organization that certifies and sets the standards for cleaning and restoration industries to follow. All of our technicians study IICRC standards and best water restoration practices 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 East Brownsville & South Padre Island 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!