How Contaminated is Flood Water?

2/2/2022 (Permalink)

Water damage to an office in Lakeside, FL.

Anyone who played in a puddle after a spring rain as a child (or maybe even as an adult) may have a hard time associating the flood water from a storm with contamination. The truth, however, is that this water is considered Category 3 water. As a result, cleaning it up when it floods your commercial property in Lakeside, FL, involves more than fixing the water damage.

What is Category 3 Water?

Category 3 water is dirty. It can contain:

• Dangerous microbes, bacteria or fungi
• Harmful chemicals
• Sewage
• Dirt or debris from the ground
  
  

If water from a storm floods your building, you must take special care not to let anyone touch it while unprotected. Full personal protective gear must be worn before entering or handling the flood water. You and your employees should not let it touch skin, and it should never be ingested.

How Do You Handle Category 3 Water?

Cleanup of storm damage should be handled by flood restoration experts. They are trained and certified to remove the water, tear out unsalvageable materials and disinfect every affected surface that remains before replacing the floor, walls and ceiling that were removed.

The first step is the extraction of the contaminated water. A pump that removes both water and debris will likely be used. Then technicians assess the damage caused by the flooding and remove all materials and items. They dry and sanitize everything that the flood water touched. After the area is tested and confirmed clean, they restore the building and make it look “Like it never even happened,” by matching new walls to old walls and new floor tile to the remaining tile.

When your building becomes a victim of flood water, it is important to take every step necessary to ensure the safety of everyone in the building. Keep people away from Category 3 water, and let the experts handle the rest.