Before

After

Contaminated sewage flooding this apartment in Monterey Park, CA

Here we have a Category 3 water loss / damage as water that is “grossly contaminated and can contain pathogenic, toxigenic, or other harmful agents and can cause significant adverse reactions to humans if contacted or consumed.”

Categories of Water Damage

The IICRC Standard for Professional Water Damage Restoration (IICRC S500) is a procedural standard that defines the 3 categories of water.

• Category 1 water damage: Sanitary “Clean Water”
• Category 2 water damage: Significantly Contaminated “Grey Water”
• Category 3 water damage: Grossly Contaminated “Black Water”

Knowing the definitions of categories and types of water damage situations can help you understand what you’ll be dealing with if you’re dealing with a similar incident.