The 3 Categories of Water Damage and Considerations

Flooding in your property can cause serious damage. Irrespective of how well you are prepared, flooding or water damage can produce unforeseen scenarios and threats.

Minor property water damage incidents can be restored via the DIY checklist. However, sever water damage cleanup or restoration requires professional supervision and industrial grade tools & machinery.

Identifying the water damage category is the first step to water damage restoration. Water damage restoration professionals customize their restoration process based on this information for an effective and timely recovery.

This post features the three categories of water damage and the respective considerations.

Clean water or Category 1

Category 1 water damage is water damage from broken pipes, overflowing sink, or rainwater. Health risks associated with category 1 water damage is low, provided, you respond to the situation in less than 48 hours.

On most occasions, overlooking the fact that water damage can cause major headaches if left unattended escalates the situation.

Category 1 water damage if left untreated for more than 48 hours gets exposed to different contaminants which can turn it into category 2 water damage.

Greywater or Category 2

Some common sources of greywater are equipment discharges, chemical wastes like detergent, laundry, and soap. Category 2 water damage can pose mild to severe contamination risks. Greywater can promote microbial growth and the severity of the condition usually escalates with time. Both direct and indirect exposure to greywater damage can affect your personal health and property.

Blackwater or Category 3

Waters from sewers or water containing grease, oil, urine, etc are ideal examples of black water. Presumably, this water type hoards bacteria, viruses, and other toxic allergens, which makes it contagious.

The vulnerability of getting an infection or illness post direct or indirect exposure to black water is more than 90%. It is mandatory to exercise special caution when dealing with black water.

Considerations

Health and safety of occupants: When facing water damage, the priority is to consider the health and safety of the occupants.

Irrespective of the type of water damage you are dealing with, if the situation seems going out of control, moving your family away from the site should be your first step.

Contain the damage: If it is possible, try to locate the source of the water damage and contain it. For instance, if the culprit is a broken pipe or a leak in the ceiling, you could use waterproof tape to contain the damage temporarily and prevent further damage.

If the situation seems serious, it is ideal to contact a water damage restoration professional to how severe the damage is, especially if the area in question is near drywalls and crawlspaces.

Move your belongings: relocating your belongings like the furniture, bed, and clothing to a dry place is another important aspect to consider. Most of these belongings when wet or when subjected to high moisture content can become a haven for mold growth.

Dealing with water damage can be a tricky task. The key is to take action within the first 48 hours and to keep the microbial growth under constant check. This is where water restoration specialists can play a crucial role.