Understanding Category 1, 2 and 3 Water

9/9/2020 (Permalink)

Water damages can come in various shapes, sizes and types.  According to IICRC, the national standard in water restoration and proper cleaning processes, there are three categories of water each with their own remediation process.

• Category 1: clean water - water that has been treated and does not contain waste products.  CAT 1 water does not require that materials be removed and cannot be dried according to IICRC standards.
• Category 2: gray water - water that has been used and may carry waste products.  This is typically clear water that you probably would not want to drink including clear water from a toilet or pipe line.  
• Category 3: black water - water that is extremely unsanitary and is disease carrying, including flood waters.  In all CAT 3 water losses all materials including flooring, doors, base cove, molding and even door frames must be removed if CAT 3 water has touched/affected the materials.

In any water loss SERVPRO of Kingwood/Humble's professionally trained and IICRC certified Production Managers will walk you through the process and ensure that you understand what category of water loss you have and how to remediate the damages to get your home or business back to, "Like it never even happened."