Types of Water Damage

8/15/2022 (Permalink)

Gray water flooding a basement when a sump pump failed.

Clean water, Gray water, and Black Water, Lets talk about them.

Clean Water doesn’t typically have microbes or bacteria and is usually sanitary or from a natural source. This type of water tends to come from a broken appliance, faulty sprinklers, a burst pipe, rainwater, or melting snow. 

Gray Water has biological or chemical hazards in it (think urine, laundry detergents, blood, etc.). If it has the potential to cause sickness or irritation, it’s not clean! Be sure to protect your skin, eyes, and mouth from direct contact (wear gloves at least; goggles and a face mask are a plus!). Keep small children and pets away from this type of water damage.

Black Water usually comes from a natural disaster or raw sewage and contains chemicals, pathogens, pesticides, or other harmful biological bacteria. It is not necessarily black in its coloring (the same goes for gray water). For example, flooding fresh or ocean water is considered black because it has so many unknown contents. Do not attempt to clean up this type yourself. Instead, please call a professional for your safety.

Identifying Water Damage

SERVPRO is 24/7 and we are able to take the stress and worry off your shoulders when water damage strikes. SERVPRO of Bullitt County and N. Nelson County will remove the water and repair your space to make it "Like it never even happened". 

Gray water can cause a lot more damage than clean water, requiring more cleanup and possible temporary evacuation during water damage remediation. In just another 48 hours or so, gray water can devolve into black water – posing serious health risks to you and your family and increasing the damage to your home.