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Fire & Water - Cleanup & Restoration

Understanding the Different Levels of Sewage Damage

1/13/2021 (Permalink)

Dishwasher causes water damage Category 2 water damage comes from a dirty water source

As a homeowner, it’s important to be prepared for various types of damage in your home, including sewer backup. Whether you’re dealing with a flooded toilet or a faulty dishwasher, you should recognize that you’re in the middle of an emergency situation. If you ever have to deal with sewage in your residence in Burr Hill, VA, you need to reach out to professional experts in sewer cleanup to address this issue quickly and thoroughly. They will know the proper approach based on the type of contaminated water or sewage damage level found.

Exploring Different Levels of Water Contamination

Sewage damage is categorized based on three different levels or types of contaminated water:

  • Clean Water (Category 1): This describes damage from a clean source such as a leaky faucet or broken pipe.
  • Gray Water (Category 2): This describes contaminated water that comes from overflow from a house appliance or a toilet containing some urine. Gray water may contain microbes.
  • Black Water (Category 3): Severely contaminated water that contains sewage, harsh chemicals and microbes such as sewer backup or flooding is referred to as black water.


When clean and gray water are left untreated, they may degrade into gray and black water, respectively. Items that experience damage from Category 3 or black water usually cannot be salvaged. It is important to address any contaminated water damage with a comprehensive sewer cleanup approach that can only be offered by professionals.


Understanding the Professional Difference
Sewage backup in your house is a serious matter. Professional restoration specialists have the equipment and know-how to quickly and fully address any damage. The aim of a full restoration process is to bring your residence back to pre-damage conditions as soon as possible.
It is not recommended that you attempt to clean sewage backup yourself. Trust your home to sewer cleanup experts who are focused on fully addressing the problem, including damage that may be hidden from view.

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