What is Black Water?

4/19/2019 (Permalink)

What Is Black Water? 

Water from a flood can do a lot of damage to your place of business. Extensive water damage may even cause you to close up shop for several days (or weeks) until the damage can be fixed. There are three classifications of water, and each is treated differently.

Classification of Water

Clean water – Clean water is considered category one and poses no immediate health threats or contaminants. Flooding that involves clean water is usually due to broken water lines, toilet holding tanks, snowmelt, etc. category one water can turn into category Two water if left untreated. 

Gray water – Gray water is considered category two. It does contain some level of contaminants that may make you sick. Discharges from dishwashers, washing machines, sinks, showers, waterbeds and aquariums might be sources of a gray water flood. After about 48 hours of contact with building surfaces, category two water is upgraded to category three.

Black water – Black water is dangerous. Flood water from storms and hurricanes is considered category three. Water damage should be handled by a professional to make sure contamination is limited. Water leftover from flooding may contain sewage containing microbes, which are pathogenic to humans and cause many diseases. Make sure to take proper precautions when dealing with water from flooding. The best course of action is to hire flooding damage restoration professionals in Raleigh, NC.  

Black Water Flooding

Considerable care should be taken after a hurricane or storm that causes flooding. Inspections, testing and documentation are advised. You want to make sure it is safe to reoccupy a contaminated area before inviting employees or customers back into the building. You should never try to clean up sewer spills or contaminated water damage on your own. Hire someone with correct equipment and training for such a project. Improper cleanup procedures could lead to trouble down the road, so get the job done right the first time. Visit http://www.SERVPROseraleighgarnerzebulon.com for more information on water damage.