Understanding Category 2 Water Damage

4/24/2018 (Permalink)

Broken pipes can cause severe damage in your commercial building

If you don’t take care of a water pipe repair, you could end up with a flooded business. To make sure your building is restored to its undamaged state as quickly as possible, it’s important to contact a water mitigation expert in Geneva, IL. The first thing an expert will do is assess the flood water to determine whether the water is category 1, 2 or 3.

Flood water is categorized based on how contaminated it is with substances that pose a threat to human and animal health. Category 1 is clean water that’s drinkable at its source – for example, from a broken pipe. Category 3 water is highly contaminated with bacteria, microorganisms and viruses that can cause serious illness. Sewage from a backed-up toilet is category 3 water. So what is category 2? Sometimes called grey water, category 2 refers to water that contains some contaminants that may cause illness if swallowed.

Where Does Category 2 Water Come From?

Category 2 water can be classified as such right from the source, or it can be a result of category 1 water from a broken water pipe repair that has come into contact with contaminating materials. Some potential sources for grey water include the following:

• Overflow from washing machines
• Overflow from dishwashers
• Toilet overflow containing only urine
• Water flushed from sink drains
• Stagnant category 1 water
• Category 1 water that has come in contact with building materials

If you need to do a water pipe repair but put it off and ended up with a flood on the second floor, the water on the second floor would probably be classified as category 1. If that water seeps through the floor and leaks through the ceiling of the floor below, the water on the lower floor will probably be classified as category 2. An experienced water damage mitigation expert in Geneva, IL, can help you deal with both.

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