What’s the Difference Between Grey Water and Black Water?

6/22/2021 (Permalink)

Have you had a water loss? Do you know what category it’s classified as? At SERVPRO of Vermilion County, we have three different categories that we put water losses under. These range from a category one to a category three.

What’s a category one water loss? Category one is classified as clean water, or water that doesn’t pose a health threat to humans. Water losses of this nature are typically described as sinks and bathtubs overflowing or broken appliances. This is the most harmless category of water that we can take care of at SERVPRO of Vermilion County.

Category two is classified as grey water. This means that the water is contaminated and may cause illness if ingested. This kind of water contains microorganisms and poses a moderate health threat to humans. This kind of water is typically from broken toilets, broken sump pumps, and seepage from outside sources, such as after storm damage. This category needs a little extra precaution when being dealt with to keep from exposure to the microorganisms and illness.

Category three is the dreaded black water. Black water is unsanitary and contains bacteria, parasites, and other microorganisms that cause sickness. This is the category that sewage is classified as, and is mostly caused by sewer problems, sewer backups, or contamination of standing water. This category requires special restoration techniques that we at SERVPRO of Vermilion County are trained to perform.

Let SERVPRO of Vermilion County take care of your water loss today, regardless of the category! We’ll make it “Like it never even happened.”