The Dangers of Standing Basement Water

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Flooding in your basement is cause for concern after a leak, a flood, or other types of disaster. Standing basement water is dangerous if not disposed of properly. There are three common forms of water damage to check for that relate to the quality of the water. The darker the water is, the more hazardous it can be for your health. Basement water removal is critical to keeping your home safe and preventing serious illness for you and your family members.

Clean Water

As you can tell by the name, “clean water” is the safest form of water damage. Typically, this type of damage comes from pipes and other water lines inside of the home. Drying the affected areas is the recommended treatment and can take around 3 days to complete. Because the water comes from inside your home, there aren’t contaminants for you to be worried about for health reasons. While you do want to remove the water as soon as possible, it’s not a health risk at this point.

Grey Water

Now, if clean water sits for more than 48 hours, it will then be classified as “grey water.” Though it’s initially clean, water that sits for a long period of time will be contaminated by appliances such as washers and dryers, water heaters, and anything else that might be kept in your basement. As long as the water is cleaned within a three-day window, you can hire a basement water removal company to dry the affected areas without needing to take further action. However, the longer you wait, the more things like carpets and clothing might become unsalvageable due to waterlogging.

Black Water

The most dangerous and toxic form of water damage is “black water.” This is water that contains sewage and other biohazardous materials. This water should not be handled by anyone in your household. You will need to call a basement water removal company right away so they can dry the affected area. Unfortunately, anything that the black water touched will need to be thrown away for your health and safety. Porous materials that were exposed to the black water can still contaminate your household if not disposed of properly.

Call a basement water removal company right away when you see water damage in your home. The quicker you can dry the area, the more you may be able to save of the damaged materials. Please do not come into contact with the water or try to drink it, even if it’s categorized as “clean,” for your own safety. Kelley Klean is the right restoration team for the job. Give us a call today at 573-214-0990.