Classifying Severe Water Damage and How To Treat It

6/26/2022 (Permalink)

The three types of water damage have varying contamination levels.

Severe Water Damage Classification and Treatment

Water damage can impact any home or business to varying degrees. Water is classified into three categories ranging from contaminant-free to grossly contaminated and unsanitary. Here is what you should know if the most severe type of damage affects your South Lakeland, FL, property.

What Is Black Water?

The three types of water damage have varying contamination levels. The first category is known as clean water and not harmful, while Category 2, or gray water, features some level of contaminants. The most unsanitary category of water damage is also known as black water. This unsafe water features any of the following hazardous properties:

• Fungi
• Bacteria
• Pesticides
• Chemical toxins

Where Does It Come From?

This harmful water can have a few different sources. Any sort of sewage backup features water that is ridden with bacteria and labeled Category 3 water. Flood water also contains high levels of bacteria and toxins so the collecting of sea, river, or groundwater after any storm will qualify. Additionally, the microorganisms within Category 2 water can evolve into this category if left untreated for too long.

How Do You Treat This Type of Damage?

Any type of water can cause significant damage to a building. Therefore, a trusted water damage mitigation company should be brought in. These experts are equipped to perform floodwater or sewage cleanup and will safely extract all water and dry the area. From there, the entire impacted area needs to be strongly disinfected before any necessary building repairs can begin.

Black water is the most concerning type of water damage given its heavy level of contaminants and toxins. If your property faces this damage from sewage or flood water, immediately bring in experts to properly clean and restore the space.