Categories and Classes of Water Losses

7/5/2022 (Permalink)

Upon arriving at a water mitigation job, one of the first things that we do is assess the category of the water and the class of the water damage.  Water category refers to the range of contamination of the water.  There are 3 basic categories:

• Category 1: Clean Water- This is water that does not pose a threat to humans. This water can come from the kitchen tap or broken appliances. 
• Category 2: Grey Water- This water contains harmful microorganisms or nutrients for microorganisms.  Grey water can come from broken toilets or sump pumps.
• Category 3: Black Water- This water is unsanitary and contains microorganisms or bacteria that can be harmful to human health.  This water is commonly sewage.

When determining the water category, our technicians take into account a number of factors.  These factors include: origin of water, current location of water, time since the loss  occurred, temperature of water and surrounding areas, and noticeable smells.  Once these factors have been considered and the water category has been determined, we then assess the class of the damage. 

Determining the class is important when assessing water damage repair options. While it is true, all water loss requires some amount of repairs, some repairs aren't as extensive as others.  There are four classes of water damage:

• Class 1: This is the least severe class where minimal damage was caused.  Materials generally absorb very little water and only a small portion of the room may be affected.
• Class 2: This class wreaks a little more havoc than the previous one.  The entire room has been affected, usually involving wet carpet and/or cushioning and water has reached around twelve inches up the wall.
• Class 3: Materials such as walls, furniture, carpet, and insulation have been affected by the water loss.
• Class 4: Water has damaged materials with low permeability rates, such as hardwood and concrete.  These materials are difficult and time consuming to dry out and restore.

Once the category of water and class of damage have been determined, our technicians can then accumulate a game plan to begin the restoration process.  If you or someone you know experiences a water loss, you can call SERVPRO of Parker and Northeast Hood Counties at any time, 24/7.  Our biggest goal is to make the restoration process as simple and stress free and possible, in order to make it "Like it never even happened."  We can be contacted at 817-596-8714.