What to do if you have had flooding in your home
Flooding in buildings can occur due to burst pipes, rainwater intrusion or
due to intrusion of river or lake water when these water bodies overflow. Before
entering a flooded building, care should be taken to turn off electricity until
it has been established that there is no danger of electric shock. Care should
also be taken in case natural gas appliances have been extinguished by high
water; to assure that gas flow has been turned off.
In considering what kind of clean-up is required. It is important to
evaluate the type of water that caused the flooding. Water causing a flooding
situation is divided into three categories that require different clean-up
measures. These categories are clear, gray and black water
- Clean clear water is tap water or rainwater.
a. Standing water should be cleaned up immediately.
b. Washable items should be washed in a washing machine.
c. Hard surfaces wiped down with a mild detergent solution.
d. Beds and couches should be dried/shop vacuumed and dried within 24-48
hours.
e. Carpets should be dried within 24-48 hours or removed.
f. Plaster and plasterboard that have been saturated should be removed
and replaced to at least 4 inches above the water line.
- Gray water is water that has been through a sink, shower, washer
or tub.
a. Standing water should be cleaned up immediately
b. Washable items should be washed in a washing machine.
c. Hard surfaces wiped down with a mild detergent.
d. Beds, couches should be dried/shop vacuumed and dried as quickly as
possible.
e. Carpets should be cleaned and dried within 24-48 hours or removed.
f. Children and pets should be kept out of the area until clean up has
been completed.
g. Plaster and plasterboard that have been saturated should be removed
and replaced to at least four inches above the water line.
h. Clean mops and brooms with a quaternary ammonium detergent after
flushing thoroughly with water. Contact time should be ten minutes. Flushing
with water should be followed with wring out, and drying thoroughly outside
in the open air.
- Black water is water that contains human or animal waste. All
flood water from lakes or rivers is considered black water and should be
treated as follows
a. Standing water should be removed immediately.
b. Washable materials can be washed in a washer
c. Hard surfaces should be cleaned with a mild detergent
d. Beds, couches, and other large permeable objects are not cleanable and
should be removed and discarded.
e. Carpets should be removed and discarded.
f. Children and pets should be out of the area until clean up has been
completed.
g. Plaster and plasterboard that have been saturated should be removed
and replaced at least four inches above the water line.
h. Disinfect mops, brooms, and brushes (see discussion above).
- Porous material that has been wetted can contain mold and
bacteria that can be harmful to health. Those who are cleaning up moldy
material should wear rubber gloves and wear masks (N-95) to avoid breathing in
spores, and wear protective goggles while handling contaminated material.
Black water flooding should always be handled as though it contains infectious
organisms. Those who clean-up after floods should wear skin, respiratory and
eye protection to prevent infection. They should wash their hands with soap
and water after handling contaminated material and before eating, smoking or
using make-up. Those who clean up areas flooded with black water should avoid
taking dirty work wear into clean areas, and should clean their hands
thoroughly before entering any clean area.
- Any food contaminated by flooding should not be eaten.
- Ventilating wet spaces aids in drying. All openable windows and
doors should be opened, and fans and heaters used to speed drying. When drying
machines are available, windows and doors should be closed and drying machines
vented to the outdoors.
Several state and federal agencies provide more detailed information on the
potential health and other hazards of floods. Most of this information is
available on the internet and some of these links are provided below:
The information
you need to make your home safe from mold after the water recedes
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/flood.html
http://www.fema.gov/hazards/floods/floodf.shtm
http://www.nsc.org/ehc/indoor/floods.htm
http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/burema/coem/flood/flwhbeaf/
DOH Indoor Air Quality
program
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