Storms In Bradenton And Lakewood Ranch Can Leave Behind Serious Water Damage

2/19/2021 (Permalink)

If you have water damage call SERVPRO of East Bradenton/Lakewood Ranch (941) 747-2333

When storms roll through Bradenton and Lakewood Ranch there can be significant water damage left behind. Understanding water damage is important to protect your home or business.
When you find yourself in a water damage situation, it is important to understand the differences in the water that could be involved.

There are three classifications for this water: clean, gray and black, and having a better understanding of these differences will help you understand how to better handle the situation.

Regardless of the type of water involved, there will always be a cleanup and restoration process that follows. The most important part of the cleanup, however, is to remove all of the moisture and damp items quickly, so that mold does not have a chance to flourish in a mold-growth ideal environment.

Clean Water

Much like the name states, “clean” water is, well, clean. And it is not likely the type that will pose an immediate threat to your health. This water is free of contaminants and can come from:

Broken water lines

Malfunctioning appliances

Toilet holding tanks

Snow melt and rainwater

This is the easiest type of water damage to work with, as there will be fewer microbes living in the water, but after only 48 hours and contact with building surfaces, clean water can move up to category two, which is gray water.

Gray Water

The cleanup and restoration process with gray water becomes a bit more involved and serious. This water could very well have the potential to pose a health risk, due to it containing chemical or biological contamination. This slight contamination in gray water means that the water would need to be thoroughly treated before being safe for consumption.

Gray water is water from dishwashers, aquariums, showers, etc. The 48-hour exposure rule for mold growth also applies here as well, as gray water will become black water if not quickly treated.

Black Water

The most serious and dangerous water is black water, and it is considered to be highly contaminated by harmful chemicals and biological matter. This would include floodwaters containing soil and any sewage water.

Sewage contains microbes, including bacteria, protozoans, molds, fungi and more—many of which are extremely harmful to humans.

Some of the diseases that can be transmitted by black water are:

Cholera

Typhoid

Hepatitis

Gastroenteritis-type illnesses

A good rule is to remember that, when it comes to floods, all water involved should be assumed to be black water since it will have picked up contaminants along its path.

These three floodwater classifications are recognized by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Remediation Certification (IICRC), an organization that certifies and sets the standards for the cleaning and restoration industry. Our technicians have all studied and familiarized themselves with the IICRC standards and best practices in water restoration and are available to help determine the steps to take to get your home back to normal.

It doesn’t matter what type of water has caused damage to your home or business, SERVPRO of East Bradenton/Lakewood Ranch (941) 747-2333 is here to help get the situation under control and make it "Like it never even happened." Don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you need emergency cleanup and restoration services.