How To Identify Water Damage Categories

6/21/2019 (Permalink)

The more you know about the categories of water damage, the better prepared you'll be to handle it

How to Understand the Different Categories of Water Damage

When flood water enters your commercial property, your first thoughts probably don't have much to do with the quality of the water. You're probably thinking about property losses and the work involved in getting everything cleaned up. However, the water could contain a number of bacteria, chemicals, and other harmful substances. Before you enter your damaged property, you must understand the different categories of water damage.

Category 1: Clean Water
Category 2: Gray Water
Category 3: Black Water

Understanding these categories will help you take the appropriate actions while keeping yourself, your staff, and your customers safe.

Category 1: Clean Water

This type of water damage comes from a sanitary water source, such as kitchen sinks. This water looks and smells like it came from the tap. However, once the water floods your property, it becomes contaminated by materials in the environment. It's probably okay to begin cleanup efforts with this type of flooding, but it's best not to start until water damage professionals have a chance to correctly identify the water.

Category 2: Gray Water

The precaution of waiting for accurate identification is important because of the potential risks involved with gray or black water. Gray flood water could result from a toilet overflow and may contain urine, soapy water, and other chemicals. It could have bits of human skin or oil from cooking. Category 2 water is generally unpleasant to clean up and could lead to illnesses.

Category 3: Black Water

Black water or category 3 damage is highly contaminated by bacteria, chemicals, and toxic pathogens. This type of damage might introduce sewage to hard-to-reach corners of the property and may result in the absorption of contaminants by flooring and furnishings. A minor toilet overflow could lead to category 3 damage that quickly spreads throughout the property.

The more you know about the categories of water damage, the better prepared you'll be to handle flood water damage on your Leawood, KS, property. Remember that professionals are best qualified to accurately determine the type of water in your building.