What Three Types of Contaminated Water Are There?

11/17/2022 (Permalink)

Water damage in Beverly Hills/ Westwood area

What Type of Water You Have and How To Deal With It

Water damage is one of the most common problems faced by homeowners and business owners. It can come from many sources, including pipes that burst or broken appliances. SERVPRO of Beverly Hills/Westwood specializes in water damage restoration, the cornerstone of our business. We have handled all types of water damage, so we're here to help you understand what type of water you have and how to deal with it quickly and professionally.

What Are the Water Damage Categories?

To properly deal with contaminated water, it's important to know what category of water you're dealing with. Categories 1 and 2 are considered clean water, while category 3 is considered contaminated. Here are the three different categories:

Category 1—Clean Water: This includes runoff from rain or snow, as well as fresh groundwater that has not been contaminated by human activity. It can also include any other type of liquid that hasn't encounter any contaminants.

Category 2—Contaminated Water: This category includes all types of liquids affected by human activity, such as rivers adjacent to factories or sewers. This type of damage is often referred to as "blackwater.”

Let's look at the three categories in more detail:

Category 1 water is clean water such as a leaking faucet or supply line, or broken appliance. If untreated, Category 1 can quickly degrade into Category 2 or 3.

Category 2 water is contaminated with harmful microorganisms and/or chemicals that can cause illness if ingested. This type of contamination could be present in your home's private well system, as well as any municipal supply lines that have become damaged by recent weather events.

Category 1 Water is clean water such as a leaking faucet or supply line, or broken appliance. If untreated, Category 1 can quickly degrade into Category 2 or 3.

A leaky faucet is one of the most common sources of contaminated water in the home. A leaking tap will typically drip between 0.5 and 5 gallons per minute depending on its severity and how long it has been leaking. Leaks that occur over longer periods of time will likely cause higher volumes of wastewater to flow into your drainpipes than those that are repaired quickly after detection.

Category 2 Water has some degree of contamination.

Category 2 water damage is the next level down. While it still requires immediate attention, this type of water damage is not as serious as category 3 and should be handled by a professional contractor so that you don’t spread any contaminants further into your home.

Category 2 water can be caused by a variety of situations, such as a toilet overflow with some urine or feces, or a washing machine overflow. Category 2 also includes other incidents like broken pipes that are not directly connected to sewage lines but have seeped into or leaked out of the home’s walls, ceilings, and floors.

Category 3 Water is grossly contaminated from an outside source. 

Category 3 water can include sewage, seawater, or floodwater: This type of contamination can come from sewage backups in your basement and other locations in your house. Flooding can also cause this type of contamination by mixing with storm runoff and groundwater seepage in the basement through a crack in the foundation or opening around a pipe. Heavy rains can also cause this type of contamination if not enough water is diverted away from structures before it reaches them.

SERVPRO Beverly Hills/Westwood specializes in water damage restoration.

The cornerstone of our business is the extensive water damage restoration training we give our technicians, which emphasizes regular monitoring and documentation of the drying process from beginning to end.

In addition, SERVPRO’s process emphasizes regular monitoring and documentation of the drying process from beginning to end.

SERVPRO is here to help you with all your water damage needs. We have a team of highly trained professionals who can handle any situation, and we offer 24/7 emergency services for our customers in Beverly Hills/Westwood area.