Understandings the Categories of Water

3/18/2022 (Permalink)

There is certain "lingo" used in the world of water restoration that is sometimes foreign to those who aren't around it a lot. One of those, is the Category of the water loss. There are three different categories of water damage scenarios listed below. The category is defined and then lists examples of scenarios of each.

Category 1:

• Clean Water
  • originates from a sanitary water source
  • does not contain waste or contaminants
• Examples:
  • Broken water supply lines
  • Appliance malfunctions involving water-supply lines
  • Falling rainwater
  • Tub or sink overflows with no contaminants
  • Melting ice or snow
  • Broken toilet tanks or toilet bowls that do not contain contaminants or additives

Category 2:

• Grey Water
  • Contains some soils and contaminants
• Examples:
  • Discharge from dishwashers or washing machines
  • Overflows form toilet bowls on the room side of the trap with some urine but no feces
  • Broken aquariums
  • Overflows from washing machines
  • Seepage due to hydrostatic pressure
  • Punctured water beds
  • Roof leak

Category 3:

• Black Water
  • Water is grossly contaminated
• Examples:
  • Raw sewage
  • Wasteline backflows that originate from beyond the trap regardless of visible content or color
  • Flood water
  • Wind-driven rain from storms

At SERVPRO of Cape Girardeau & Scott Counties, our team belongs to the IICRC: Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification. You can trust that our professionals can identify and properly clean any water damage situation. Give us a call at 573-339-1948 with any questions you may have.