Flooding Means Dealing with Black Water

11/11/2020 (Permalink)

Flooded building in Lebanon, GA

If faced with flooding in your Lebanon, GA, business, the excessive unwanted water can easily make you feel overwhelmed. While it can be easy to focus on the damage, the flood water itself needs to be considered first. There are three classifications of water that are important to understand before diving in to cleanup.

Water Categories

The cause of the water, whether storm damage or leaking pipe, determines how safe the water is to handle. The three categories are:

Clean Water – This is considered safe water that often comes from a faulty appliance, pipe burst, toilet holding tank leak or rainwater.
Grey Water – Although it does not contain fecal matter, this category means that the water has some contaminants. Sources include showers, dishwashers and toilets.
Black Water – This type requires additional safety measures to deal with since it is contaminated with human waste, chemicals, microorganisms and pathogens. Water that enters from outside the building or from the sewer are given this classification.

It is important to understand that even the first two categories can evolve into the third category. The longer water sits, the more likelihood of mold growth.

Call the Experts
Knowing that staying up and running and salvaging items in your property from flood water is essential to success, it can be easy to want to immediately start the cleanup process. When the cause is natural flooding, the mess should be left to a water damage and restoration company. A certified professional will have the tools and techniques to handle the potentially harmful water. From having the proper safety gear to using industrial-grade equipment to extract water to inspecting for signs of secondary damage and much more, a trusted professional can make it “Like it never even happened.” They are also trained to restore belongings, including electronics and document.
Dealing with flood water requires careful consideration before cleanup can even begin. Knowing the categories of water and that help is just a call away can ensure a safe and proper cleanup.