Hello World! Welcome Friends! Professionals in the water damage field as well as health professionals, follow a categorization of water types and separate it from Category 1 through 3. This categorization is based on the contents of said water and it is necessary to make identification and water damage restoration a lot easier.
In this text, we are going to explore the differences between the 3 categories of water as well as the appropriate actions which are necessary to deal with water damage from any of the categories.
A Simple Guide to White, Gray and Black Water Restoration
While this separation into different segments is mostly used by professional companies like GCDRestoration.com, it’s a useful tool to determining what sort of contamination levels are present on a property. If you are an owner and would like to educate yourself about the dangers of water damage, this article is just the piece of work you are looking for.
[Category 1] White Water – Clear Water, Little to No Bacteria – NOT DANGEROUS
White water come from pipes, it can be drinkable water which has overblown from a sink or a bath tub. Depending on the volume of the water, there might be issues with electrical wiring and all power to the property must be shut off.
This is the easiest and cheapest water type to restore and it is also one of the most common. The reason it’s cheapest is because the need for disinfection is quite limited and if it’s required, then it would be only restricted to certain areas of the property.
[Category 2] Gray Water – Muddled Water, Urine and Some Bacteria – MILDLY DANGEROUS
Gray water may contain urine but not feces, dishwasher water, sink and used bathtub water. This water does contain some bacteria, but little to no fungi, it does smell and its can be mildly dangerous.
Areas of the property affected by this type of water source should be disinfected and dehumidified immediately after all visible water is removed. Most property, furniture, flooring, carpeting and clothing can be restored without the need to discard it.
[Category 3] Black Water – Sewage or Stagnant Water, Untreated Sewage – HIGHLY DANGEROUS
Black water is basically sewage or stagnant water which has developed dangerous bacterial cultures like mildew, black mold spores, e-coli or other. It carries dangerous decomposition fumes which are quite hazardous to the lungs and upper pathways.
All surfaces which are non-porous can be cleaned, while the porous ones, like gyp board and wood, plaster board and so on, need to be replaced. Decontamination and cleaning are mandatory and should be done immediately as to reduce the saturation of the surfaces.
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