What You Need To Know About Category 2 Water Damage
10/28/2020 (Permalink)
When faced with a rupture in your commercial building’s plumbing system, water pipe repair may be the first thing that crosses your mind. There are, however, other important considerations associated with more severe forms of water damage, such as category 2 water damage.
What Is Category 2 Water Damage?
Being able to recognize Category 2 water damage will help you avoid some of the health and safety hazards associated with this type of disaster.
Category 2 water damage is caused by gray water. It poses a moderate hazard to human health; contact with gray water can result in skin irritation or illness. Sources of gray water include:
- Water that has accumulated in basements
- Water from washing machines and dishwashers
- Toilet water (that contains urine but not feces)
- Water from sinks, baths, and showers
Rooms flooded with gray water are vulnerable to structural damage. This is linked to the gray water’s moderately fast evaporation rate, as well as to biological factors. Failing to clean up gray water properly can result in mold problems down the line.
For these reasons, preventing extensive Category 2 water damage requires rapid professional intervention. Ideally, this intervention should include both water pipe repair and water damage remediation. A professional remediation company will help you minimize damage to furniture and other items, repair structural damage, make sure your building is completely dried out and decontaminate waterlogged surfaces.
Understanding Contaminants in Gray Water
Gray water may contain biological, physical, or chemical contaminants such as viruses, bacteria, parasites, and other microorganisms. Quick water pipe repair and water cleanup is important, in part, because these microorganisms can spread quickly.
Gray water may also contain man-made or naturally-occurring chemical compounds, such as bleach, pesticides, and drugs excreted by humans or other animals. Physical contaminants include sediment and mineral deposits found in water.
When dealing with a broken pipe in your commercial building in Troup, TX, you should respond quickly while taking appropriate health and safety precautions. Being aware of hazards created by Category 2 water damage will help prevent illness and injury.