Understanding “Black Water” From Storm Flooding

9/6/2018 (Permalink)

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Flooding in Clover or Lake Wylie?

Storms in Lake Wylie,SC can quickly overwhelm local bodies of water and cause severe, unexpected flooding. What does it mean when someone uses the term “black water” to describe a flood? Is this just plumber lingo or a casual description? In fact, it is a commonly used term in the insurance industry. It doesn’t have anything to do with the color of water and is used to describe one of three categories of flood water:

• Category 1- “clean water”
• Category 2- “gray water”
• Category 3- “black water”

As the names indicate, the categories are defined by progressively more contaminated states. Some water, like that from sewage spills, starts as Category 3 but may be recategorized due to exposure of time, temperature or direct contamination from additional elements.

Why Are Storm Floods Considered “Black Water?”

As you probably concluded already, Category 3 floods are unsafe for human exposure and may include the following contaminants:

• Bacteria
• Parasites
• Fungi
• Chemical hazards
• Sewage

Local flood water is considered Category 3 water because rivers, lakes and seas naturally contain some of these contaminants and may also be exposed to these elements during the storm event.

What Can You Do About Category 3 Water?

Category 3 water should be mitigated as quickly as possible to reduce damage of your building and materials, and to prevent subsequent problems such as the development of mold. It’s important to remove flood water as quickly as possible because the wet environment is a breeding ground for mold, which can begin to reproduce in as little as 24 to 48 hours.

After storm damage, it’s important to find the right company to help get your building back to normal. A good remediation and restoration company will respond quickly to begin water removal and drying, and be able to handle the entire restoration process. When Category 3 water is involved, it is critical to have knowledgeable and experienced professionals that know what must be disposed of and how to clean what may be saved.

If you live in River Hills Plantation community or the surrounding area we are a local restoration company ready to help. For more information about us you can visit our SERVPRO Yelp page.