Water Categories As Defined By The IICRC

11/30/2017 (Permalink)

Having a water loss in your home can be traumatizing.  In addition to the tips on preventing secondary damage it is helpful to know and understand the 3 categories of water associated with a water loss.  According to the IICRC guidelines, there are 3 categories of water in a water loss: Category 1, Category 2, and Category 3.  Let’s take a look at each category:

Category 1: This is clean, sanitary water.  Sources can be faucets, toilet tanks, drinking fountains, etc.  The category can quickly change to a Category 2 however.

Category 2: This category of water is typically referred to as “grey water”, and is described as having levels of contaminates that may cause you some sickness or discomfort if ingested.  Category 2 water can come from dishwasher or washing machine overflows and sink drains.

Category 3: This is the worst category of water, it is grossly unsanitary. It used to be called, and is still sometimes referred to as, black water.  Sources of Category 3 water can be sewer backups, flooding from streams and rivers, toilet overflows with feces, and liquid that has sat and became stagnant.