How Contaminated is Your Flood Water?

2/25/2022 (Permalink)

Drying equipment in a kitchen in Jacksonville, FL.

Water Categories

When contaminated water enters your home in Jacksonville, FL, you may begin wondering how dangerous it is to wade into the water. This can depend on your supply line, where the water came from, and other factors. As complex as this can be, there are three main categories of water:

• Clean Water
  
• Gray Water
  
• Black Water
  
  

While these may seem like meaningless titles, these categories can give you a good idea of how dangerous standing water is.

Clean Water

Clean water, which is also called, “White Water,” is generally considered safe. This is the type of water that you may shower, cook, and clean with. You might face floodwater in this category if a pipe inside your home bursts and does not contact anything else. Generally speaking, you can be safe from contamination when dealing with this type of water.

Gray Water

This water is slightly contaminated, but not necessarily dangerous. That means that gray water may have such particles as human hair, oils, and soap. The important thing is that gray water has not contacted solid human waste. This type of water may come from an overflowing tub or sink, for example.

Black Water

The most important thing about this type of water is that it has encountered solid human waste. Thus, it could be contaminated with harmful bacteria, parasites, toxins, and other dangerous particles. If your toilet overflows or your sewage backs up, you should not go near it. Many people are surprised to learn that flood water that enters your home from outside after a storm is also black water. It can become contaminated water when sewage backs up from the flooding.

No matter what kind of water damages your home in Jacksonville, FL, it’s essential to call a professional restoration company to assist you. All kinds of water can cause mold, and a restoration company can help.