As an active IICRC instructor, I train and certify hundreds of restoration professionals annually. I am also heavily involved in the development and updates to the IICRC (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification) standards, including the ANSI IICRC S500 The Standard for Professional Water Damage Restoration, and the ANSI IICRC S520 The Standard for Professional Mold Remediation. Both of these standards directly apply to the mitigation services being performed by restoration companies responding to water and storm damage as a result of impacts from hurricanes.
Understanding Water Damage Categories and Restoration Guidelines
The IICRC S500 standard provides guidance for the remediation of structural materials and contents impacted by water damage. Factors such as the category of the water, type of contents, type of occupants, length of time of exposure, cost, ability or efficacy to verify remediation, and risk/liability, determine if the recommendation is made for attempting to clean/restore these materials/items or recommending them for disposal.
This document serves to provide information to explain categories of water damage, and the supporting documentation that is included in the ANSI accredited standards that are considered the Industry Standard of Care for how restoration contractors should approach water mitigation projects from not only a procedural perspective but also from a safety and health perspective.
Every building will have some degree of bio-load (organic matter such as skin cells, dirt, pet dander, mold, bacteria etc.) naturally present. Through regular housekeeping measures and building maintenance, such as cleaning, vacuuming and moisture control, these naturally present bio-loads do not have a major impact on occupant health.
Challenges in Remediation Post-Hurricane
In the event water intrusion occurs in a building, the source of the water is categorized based on the amount of bacterial load that is likely to be present, which could become a future concern for safety and health to the occupants and has a direct impact on how a restoration contractor should approach the structural cleaning, drying, and handling of contents within the building. The restoration contractor not only has to consider the source of the water when determining the category of the loss but also the amount of time the building and materials have remained wet, as well as the environmental conditions present within the building. These factors directly impact the category.
Flood water entering a building would be categorized as Category 3. Additional complicating factors that are commonly present after a hurricane has made landfall are the inability for mitigation companies to gain access to these impacted areas for several days due to roads that are impassable, downed powerlines, and bridges that are shut down until they are deemed safe for travel, and other logistical challenges. Power outages are also common and result in a lack of environmental controls in buildings that have been damaged. The warmer temperatures, lack of air conditioning to remove humidity, and the addition of time create conditions that cause rapid deterioration of building materials, contents, and the overall indoor environment. The conditions created are favorable for promoting microbial growth to occur, resulting in elevated and unsafe levels of microbial contamination, including bacteria and mold.
Additionally, when water has traveled across the surface of the ground and enters a building as flood water, it will likely introduce other potentially hazardous or regulated materials such as pesticides, herbicides, PCBs, heavy metals, animal fecal matter, and chemicals.
Health Risks Associated with Contaminated Buildings
There is significant concern regarding health effects from exposure to microbial-contaminated building materials and contents. Microbial contamination (which can include bacteria and mold) associated with water damage in indoor environments is a public health concern. It presents a health risk to both occupants and restoration workers, potentially resulting in a variety of illnesses of an inflammatory, allergic, infectious, and toxic nature. Floodwaters carry soil bacteria and fungi whose types, components, and by-products can induce respiratory inflammation and sensitivity, while sewage backflows additionally introduce a variety of infectious disease agents.1
For porous structural materials such as drywall, carpeting, textiles, insulation, etc., it is recommended to dispose of these materials because they cannot be effectively cleaned and returned to a sanitary condition due to their porosity. The same is recommended for the restoration of personal contents that are porous, such as books, paper, clothing, upholstered items, drapes, stuffed animals, etc. There are also other factors that are considered, such as the cost for packing out, inventorying, cleaning and restoration of personal contents when it exceeds the value of those items. Above all, the safety and health of the occupants that these items will be returned to should always be considered first when making the determination if it is appropriate to restore personal contents or not.
Attempts at restoring Category 3 contaminated porous materials/contents can also aerosolize extensive amounts of allergens, as well as potentially infectious agents. This can also result in items that were not directly impacted by the contaminated water becoming cross-contaminated with aerosolized contamination and will require cleaning / restorative procedures to be completed. The aerosolization of microbial contaminants poses a risk for susceptible populations such as the elderly, infants, convalescents, and those who are immunocompromised through disease or therapy.1
Limitations of Post-Remediation Testing
One final consideration is that there are many limitations when conducting post-remediation verification sampling of personal contents following attempts at restoring contaminated items, especially those that are porous and semi-porous. Those limitations include the inconsistencies of available testing methods, lack of acceptable criteria, and the associated high cost. It would be quite expensive and, in some cases, just impractical to sample every item of content in a building to ensure the cleaning processes were successful in returning that item to a sanitary condition safe to return it back to the occupant. This is especially important when the occupants are high risk, which include children, the elderly, pregnant women and the immunocompromised.
Below is more detailed information per IICRC regarding Categorization:
As per the IICRC S500: “Category 1: Category 1 water originates from a sanitary water source and does not pose substantial risk from dermal, ingestion, or inhalation exposure. Examples of Category 1 water sources can include, but are not limited to: broken water supply lines; tub or sink overflows with no contaminants; appliance malfunctions involving water-supply lines; melting ice or snow; falling rainwater; broken toilet tanks, and toilet bowls that do not contain contaminants or additives.
Category 1 water can deteriorate to Category 2 or 3. Category 1 water that flows into an uncontaminated building does not constitute an immediate change in the category. However, Category 1 water that flows into a contaminated building can constitute an immediate change in the category. Once microorganisms become wet from the water intrusion, depending upon the length of time that they remain wet and the temperature, they can begin to grow in numbers and can change the category of the water. Odors can indicate that Category 1 water has deteriorated.
Category 2: Category 2 water contains significant contamination and has the potential to cause discomfort or sickness if contacted or consumed by humans. Category 2 water can contain potentially unsafe levels of microorganisms or nutrients for microorganisms, as well as other organic or inorganic matter (chemical or biological). Examples of Category 2 water can include, but are not limited to: discharge from dishwashers or washing machines; overflows from washing machines; overflows from toilet bowls on the room side of the trap with some urine but no feces; seepage due to hydrostatic pressure; broken aquariums, and punctured water beds.
Category 3: Category 3 water is grossly contaminated and can contain pathogenic, toxigenic, or other harmful agents and can cause significant adverse reactions to humans if contacted or consumed. Examples of Category 3 water can include, but are not limited to: sewage; wasteline backflows that originate from beyond any trap regardless of visible content or color; all forms of flooding from seawater; rising water from rivers or streams; and other contaminated water entering or affecting the indoor environment, such as wind-driven rain from hurricanes, tropical storms, or other weather-related events. Category 3 water can carry trace levels of regulated or hazardous materials (e.g., pesticides or toxic organic substances).
Regulated, hazardous materials, and mold: if a regulated or hazardous material is part of a water damage restoration project, then a specialized expert may be necessary to assist in damage assessment. Regulated materials posing potential or recognized health risks can include, but are not limited to: arsenic, mercury, lead, asbestos, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), ethylene glycol, pesticides, fuels, solvents, hazardous combustion by-products, caustic chemicals, and radiological residues. For situations involving visible or suspected mold, refer to the current version of ANSI/IICRC S520 Standard for Professional Mold Remediation. The presence of any of these substances does not directly determine or constitute a change in category, but qualified persons shall abate regulated materials or should remediate mold prior to drying. Humidity control may be necessary in contaminated structures, and completion of restorative drying may be necessary before final verification of a mold remediation process.”1
Cited Resources
- The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification. S500 IICRC Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Water Damage Restoration. Las Vegas, NV
- The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification. S520 IICRC Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Mold Remediation. Vancouver, Las Vegas, NV
- American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists: Bioaerosols: Assessment and Control Second Edition. Mancher, J., editor. ACGIH. Cincinnati, OH. ISBN 978-1-607261-69-8. 2024.
Rachel Adams
Rachel Adams, I.H., M.T. (ASCP), RPIH, MWR has been involved in the water damage and environmental health industries for more than 30 years. She holds a dual Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Health Sciences and Medical Technology (Toxicology) from Purdue University and is certified by the American Society of Clinical Pathologists. Rachel also holds a Master Water Restorer designation from the IICRC through her training, dedication, and field experience. Rachel is the Director of Education for Clean Care Restoration Academy located in Panama City, Florida. She served on the Board of Directors for the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification (IICRC) and was appointed to serve as the Technical Advisory Committee Chair for the development of the IICRC Applied Microbial Remediation Technician (AMRT) which she still serves today. She is an Associate member of the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) and the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA).
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