Water Incidents

Quick Response

A rapid response to water damage can make a major difference in speeding up recovery. Even in relatively minor incidents, if water is left to sit, it can increase the risk of staining, swelling, rusting, microbial growth, or other issues that could have been prevented with an immediate response. 

What Can You Do?

• If you discover an incident, report it promptly.
• Keep yourself and others safe.
• Remove your personal effects and other moveable property out of the affected areas, if it is safe to do so.
• Take lots of photos and preserve evidence of the incident. This may be particularly important if there is a chance to recover the costs of the damage or if we need to make a claim with our insurance company.
• Allow access and space for the restoration process to promptly respond to the incident.
• Keep the first responders informed of your specific or specialized needs or concerns.

Water Categories

Understanding the 3 different categories of water damage can help you understand the response needed to mitigate the impacts

1. Category 1 - Clean Water. This is water coming from a fresh source, such as a burst water supply line or an overflowing sink. While health risks associated with this category of water start out low, it is essential to respond within 24-48 hours. The water can become contaminated if it is allowed to keep the affected materials wet for an extended period, or if it contacts contaminated material.
2. Category 2 - Grey Water. This category of water can have slight to moderate contamination levels due to its source, microbial growth, or other contamination following the initial water release.
3. Category 3 - Black Water. This is at risk of being highly contaminated with infectious microbes and/or other toxic or allergenic material, such as from a sewer back up. It is the most dangerous source of water damage with higher risk of disease, infection, and irreparable damage to property. 

Responding to a water Incident

The 5-Step water damage response:

1. Protect the health and safety of yourself and others. When in doubt, always err on the side of caution, and keep yourself and others away from affected areas until the First Response Team has assessed the situation.
2. Prevent additional damage. Once you have taken the proper safety measures, and you are able, turn off the source of the water. This may only be possible from a member of the First Response Team. Where possible, try to save moveable contents, furnishings, and high value items
   1. Remove small furnishings, breakables, moisture sensitive materials, and high value items
   2. Lift electronics or other moisture sensitive items off of the floor and place them on desks or tables if they cannot, or don’t need to be removed
   3. Keep the legs of furniture away from water by moving them, or placing their legs in bowls or cups, if possible
   4. When you cannot access the space, or you need help from the First Response Team, please make them aware of any special instructions or equipment 
3. Remove contaminated water (First Response Team). It is essential for the First Response Team to remove excess water and disinfect the area before starting the drying process. Any type of water carries a risk of contamination, especially if it is allowed to sit for longer than 48 hours.
4. Dry the site (First Response Team). This requires careful management by the First Response Team of air movement, humidity levels and air temperature to remove moisture from the affected materials and environment. This process typically includes air movers and dehumidifiers. This equipment is essential to restore an affected area, but is intrusive. They can be loud and need to have cords to draw power. 
5. Salvage materials. After the water is removed and dried, the First Response Team can work with you to help make the difficult decisions in deciding which materials are salvageable, and are worth trying to save. It’s important to weigh the costs and time investment of salvaging or replacing the materials..

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