Albeit an integral part of our lives, water can also be a nuisance. One example of this is how water can create a serious problem for your property.

When excess water sits in your home or business long enough, the porous building materials and furnishings inside will absorb the moisture, continuing to do so until the moisture is gone. This absorption then causes the affected materials to become damaged. However, the harm can worsen depending on the type of water the materials take in.

For example, if your residential or commercial property is affected by black water, this creates a more serious situation.

Black water concerns category 3 water damage. This is known as the worst type of water damage because of the dangers associated with it. In contrast, category 1 water damage is a more manageable type of water damage because it concerns clean water, which presents less hazards.

Black water can be sourced from various places, such as a toilet overflow or a storm whose water mixed with sewage. The water contains waste materials, which makes it contaminated and presents numerous health risks. Among the problems black water can lead to are disease, infection, and sickness.

In the event your home or business suffers water damage, it is important to react immediately. Prompt action will limit the amount of damage your property sustains. However, the need to address the damage is even greater when it concerns black water damage because of how much harm it can cause your property in addition to the dangers it presents to anyone in the vicinity.

Continue reading to learn more about black water damage and what you can do should you find yourself dealing with it.

How Dangerous is Black Water?

As aforementioned, black water contains waste materials that make it a hazardous substance. In terms of its threat to humans, the water contains pathogens that can spread illnesses and infections.

For example, if you have a wound and it comes into contact with black water, then the water’s contaminants can cause an infection to develop. But black water has also been known to lead to more serious issues, including hepatitis and the diarrheal illness campylobacteriosis.

In terms of property damage, black water increases the amount of harm building materials experience.

The more water that building materials absorb, the weaker the affected items become. Water-damaged building materials can become discolored and warped. But without prompt water extraction, affected materials will eventually take in so much water that the structural damage leads to instability. When black water is involved, the materials also absorb the waste materials, harming the items further.

How Should I Respond to Black Water Damage?

Because of the dangers that black water presents, homeowners and unqualified individuals should never handle water mitigation for black water damage on their own. Even if the amount of water present seems manageable, the risk for harm is still high.

When conducting water damage restoration for a property affected by black water, simply grabbing a mop or using a wet/dry vacuum to remove the water is not enough, nor is it safe.

People handling water mitigation for water damage cases concerning black water need to wear gloves, eyewear, boots, and other personal protective equipment (PPE) so that they are not at risk of being harmed by the contaminants within the water. Additionally, all affected surfaces and materials need to be thoroughly cleaned or decontaminated, which cannot be done with your standard everyday cleaning products.

Knowing this, the best action and legitimate solution to take is to reach out to a professional service for help.

Get Professional Help for Your Black Water Damage Emergency

There are professional water damage restoration services and sewage cleanup services available to help you and your home or business in the aftermath of black water damage. The professional technicians who provide water mitigation and sewage cleanup services have the proper protective gear and equipment to handle black water damage in a safe manner.

Within these professional services, technicians begin by evaluating the damage. This will allow them to get a true sense of the damage’s extent, which also allows for a proper restoration plan to be created.

Professionals will completely extract contaminated water and excess moisture to prevent it from causing further damage. They then thoroughly dry the property using professional grade equipment. From there, permanently damaged materials will be removed. Using advanced cleaning products and equipment, the remaining affected surfaces and items are cleaned and disinfected.

If there are lingering odors in the property or if mold has grown in response to the water damage, then professional technicians can address those issues as well.

With help from a professional water damage restoration service, you can feel comfortable knowing that your home or business will be restored to a safe, clean environment once again.

About Vince Sandri

Vince Sandri is a content writer and blogger with more than 12 years of experience. His expertise is in creating content related to disaster restoration, including information about preventing and reacting to natural disasters like flooding, water damage, fire and smoke damage, mold growth, storm damage and more.
Vince has been the main contributor to RestorationMasterFinder.com since 2014. Over that time, he has written numerous service pages and blogs for disaster restoration providers featured on RestorationMasterFinder.com. Vince has done extensive research and covered a wide range of topics relating to disaster restoration to help homeowners, business owners, and property managers better protect their property. He understands the problems that disasters like flooding, fire, smoke, and mold can cause as well as the best ways to respond to these issues to limit the damage.
Vince completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Aurora University and his master’s degree at DePaul University. He has been writing SEO website pages, blogs, and press releases since 2012. Vince is also a musician and can be seen playing in the Chicago, IL area.