Characteristics of Black Water

6/22/2021 (Permalink)

Characteristics of Black Water

When your commercial building in Edmond, OK, floods, you may not realize that the damage can vary based on the source of the water. Flooding usually falls into one of three categories—clean, gray or black. If a pipe bursts, for example, your commercial restoration crew may not have to worry about the decontamination process as much as they would if the flood water came from rain. To better understand these differences, you need to consider the characteristics of the third category of water damage.

Source

The source of the water may dictate whether it is considered black, gray or clean. Anything in the black category usually comes from one of the following sources:

• Sewage backup
  
• River overflow
  
• Heavy rain
  
  

Because the source plays such an important role in a flood's categorization, storm damage often falls into the black water category. In some unique circumstances, stormwater may still fit into the second, slightly cleaner grouping.

Contaminants

What is in the water is also important for its categorization. Blackwater is categorized as such when the liquid is combined with feces, harsh chemicals, viruses, spores or microbes. The more contaminated the water is the more likely it will fall into the black category rather than the gray.

Time

Of course, even flood water that was once considered clean can morph into this dirty category. When floods are allowed to sit in a commercial building for long periods of time, the liquid may pick up pollen, bacteria and chemicals from the environment. Too much time between the flooding and the cleanup essentially degrades the water into the black category.

The floodwater that fills your commercial building may be considered black if it has the three aforementioned characteristics. As you start going through the cleanup process, it may be helpful for you to learn more about the three classes of standing water that can affect your property.