Fresh Water
0-71 Hours
Grey Water
72-119 Hours
Black Water
120+ Hours
Water is not all the same.
You can’t trust your eyes (or even your nose) to tell the difference. Only a qualified technician can determine the type of water damage you’re facing, and the appropriate steps to clean it up. There are three categories of water.The categories are determined not by the actual color of the water itself but by the amount of contamination and the length of time that has passed since the damage occured.
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Category 1: Fresh Water
Fresh water originates from a source that does not pose a substantial threat to humans. This could be broken water supply lines, tub or sink overflow, rain, or melting ice or snow. Fresh water will degrade to grey water in appoximately 72 hours. |
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Category 2: Gray water
Gray water is unsanitary water that contains some degree of contamination that would cause sickness if consumed by humans. This can include dishwasher overflow, toilet backups and waterbed and aquarium leaks. Grey water will degrate to black water in approximately 48 hours. |
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Category 3: Black water
Black water consists of grossly unsanitary water containing disease producing pathologic agents like sewage back-up, ground surface water or floodwater from streams or rivers that carry organic matter. If water has dwelled for more than 120 hours, it is considered black water. |
