Water Pipe Repair and Classifications

7/14/2022 (Permalink)

Cleaning up drywall after a water loss in Southwest Anaheim, CA

A broken pipe at your Southwest Anaheim, CA, business can cause major damage. However, water pipe repair and water damage restoration can have your commercial building back to normal in no time. Luckily, water from pipes is generally not as dangerous as water from other sources. Knowing the three classifications of water can help keep you, your employees, and customers safe.

Water Classifications

Water is divided into three classifications, based on the presumed level of contamination:

• Clean water (category 1) comes from broken pipes, rainwater, etc. This water is not contaminated and does not pose a threat.
• Gray water (category 2) is slightly contaminated. This type of water comes from appliances, aquariums, bathwater, etc. The potential threat is determined by the type of contaminants in the water.
• Black water (category 3) is highly contaminated. Category 3 water comes from sewage, flood waters and other dirty sources. This water should be treated with extreme caution, as it is assumed to be dangerous.

Additionally, water should not be allowed to sit for extended periods. After 24 hours, category 1 water degrades into category 2 water, and category 2 water degrades into category 3 water. Also, when clean water travels downward through a building, such as from a broken pipe on the second floor down to the first floor, it gathers contaminants from the building material and should be treated as category 2 water.

Safety Precautions

When doing water pipe repair or other work in a flooded area, there are several things to remember in order to stay safe:

Turn off the power in the area before beginning work if any electrical equipment has gotten wet. If you have to walk through standing water to do so, hire an electrician.
Do not turn on any water-damaged appliances until they have been cleared by an electrician.
Make sure to keep any cuts or sores you may have from coming into contact with category 1 or 2 water. Wear waterproof bandages, gloves or protective clothing to cover any wounds.

After the water pipe repair, you may need help with water damage restoration. A professional restoration company can help you get your business back to normal quickly and safely.