When Black Water Flooding Occurs

Flooding is a significant risk in many locations throughout Canada and can bring about black water contamination. Black water is a type of highly contaminated floodwater that originates from sources such as sewage, seawater, and road floods, which result from snow thaw, storms, and clogged drains. We’ve summarized our black water flooding cleanup tips below.

Black water flooding cleanup steps

Remediating black water contamination in a building requires careful planning and the use of specialized equipment. A licensed restoration professional will know how to assess the damages, then sanitize and dry the affected areas. The steps to follow in the event of black water damage include:

1. The safety of all building occupants and workers is ensured. Employees must wear protective equipment, such as boots, gloves, waterproof coveralls, eye protection, and respirators.
2. The cleaning technician performs a thorough inspection of all affected areas to determine the severity of the disaster. The restoration process is based on this assessment.
3. Excess water must be rapidly removed to prevent further damage. Sewage and other waste, as well as contaminated porous items, are all removed. Special tools (air scrubbers or negative air machines) are often used to prevent unaffected areas from becoming infected. Affected surfaces are cleaned and sanitized with industry-approved disinfectants.
4. Once the sanitization is complete, the technicians establish a balanced drying system to restore the damaged areas to their pre-disaster condition. This final step involves using specialized procedures, products, and equipment, such as high capacity air movers and professional dehumidifiers.

For black water flooding restoration, call the PuroClean restoration pros!

Black water remediation is a job best left to professionals. The risks involved in dealing with contaminated sewage, as well as the difficulty of restoring structures after black water flooding, are too much for most homeowners to handle. For any of your water damage remediation needs, the PuroClean specialists are standing by. Our offices across the nation are ready to come to home or business owners’ rescue 24/7.