Category 3 Water Damage Definition

According to the institute of inspection cleaning and restoration certification iicrc standard for professional water damage restoration ansi iicrc s500 2006 category iii water damage often called black water is water damage to a structure where the origin is unsanitary or potentially infectious to humans.

Category 3 water damage definition.

Rising water from rivers or streams. What is category 3 water damage. Category 3 water is grossly contaminated and can contain pathogenic toxigenic or other harmful agents and can cause significant adverse reactions to humans if contacted or consumed. Due to rampant bacterial breeding and mold growth category 2 becomes a category 3 situation if left untreated for 2 days or more.

Category 3 water is classified category 3 because it is grossly contaminated with pollutants including fungi and bacteria. Such water sources may carry silt organic matter pesticides heavy metals regulated materials or toxic organic substances. Category 3 is grossly contaminated and may contain pathogenic toxigenic or other harmful agents. Type 3 category are contaminated water sources that affect the indoor environment.

Typical black water conditions occur from a sewer back flow a broken toilet bowl containing feces and rising flood waters. Universal exclusions in property and liability insurance policies for losses related to fungi bacteria automatically apply to category 3 water losses because of the bacteria and or fungi in the water. Category 3 black water this is the least common and most dangerous form of water damage. Category 3 water loss involves water that is grossly contaminated and can contain pathogenic toxigenic or other harmful agents.

Black water contains disease causing organisms toxins and is grossly unsanitary. Even a small toilet overflow causes category 3 damage when dirty water deposits bacteria on the floor baseboards. Black water is highly contaminated and could cause serious illness or death should you become exposed to it. All forms of flooding from seawater.

Examples of category 3 water can include but are not limited to. And other contaminated water entering or affecting. Category 3 water damage occurs when highly contaminated black water soaks porous materials like sheetrock and wood. Such water may carry silt organic matter pesticides heavy metals regulated materials or toxic organic substances.

You ve probably guessed it by now damage caused by category 3 water is the worst possible type that could happen to your home or business. The most common sources of category 3 water include. Wasteline backflows that originate from beyond any trap regardless of visible content or color. This category includes water sources from sewage seawater rising water from rivers or streams storm surge ground surface water or standing water.

Category 3 water is also known as black water and it s usually the result of sewage or other heavily contaminated water sources including rainwater mixed with sewage and rising water from rivers or streams. Problems can range from sewage water in basements to mold infested crawl spaces.