Categories of Water Damage

12/1/2020 (Permalink)

Categories of Water Loss

Not all water is the same when it comes to water damage in the home or office. Water and moisture can significantly affect drywall, plaster, weakening beams and supports, rusting metal surfaces, and more if untreated. SERVPRO of Garfield & Pitkin Counties is professionally trained to meet IICRC standards to properly assess and devise the best plan to restore any water damage category.

Category 1 – Clean Water

As its name states, this category is from a clean source such as faucets, toilet tanks, or drinking fountains. This is the lowest and easiest type to deal with by drying out any affected material if untreated category 1 water can quickly downgrade.

Category 2 – Gray Water

Greywater has a level of contaminants that can cause illness or discomfort if ingested. Sources of greywater include a washing machine, flush from sink drains, and toilet overflow with some urine but do not contain feces. Clean up from gray water requires additional steps, including containment of the affected area and removal of materials that present moisture or damage. Category 2 can downgrade to Category 3 if left untreated.

Category 3 – Black Water

As the name suggests, black water is the worst classification and is grossly contaminated. This water can cause severe illness or death if ingested. Sources of black water include sewer backup, flooding from rivers or streams, toilet overflow with feces, and stagnant liquid that has begun to support bacterial growth. Blackwater should always be avoided. Never try to clean up black water on your own as it can cause severe illness! Clean up from Category 3 water requires a measure of safety precautions for all those involved. This includes containment of the affected area and hazmat suits to protect the technicians from removing contaminated materials. Blackwater, therefore, is the hardest to deal with and the most costly.