The idea of a water break in a condominium building usually sends shivers down a property manager's back. Floods should be part of a building's emergency response plan. There should be a 911 mentality. What to do in the event of such an emergency should be clearly outlined with security, management, maintenance staff and unit owners.
There are two constants with water, it moves away from its source and it always takes the path of least resistance. This usually means that the water is finding a way to move down wards. In a condo high rise this can mean that given enough time even the smallest water intrusion can affect many units.
Quick response is of paramount importance. Migrating water must be contained at its source. It must be extracted before it soaks into the permeable building materials, flooring and unit's contents.
When picking a company for disaster restoration, response time should be one of the most important factors. The company should be able to respond in one hour or less. The company should have solid systems and procedures. The technicians of the company should at minimum be certified in water damage restoration and aware of the standards of the industry and legislation under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
Building staff should know how to turn off the water if it is required. It is quite remarkable how often building staff will be unable to turn off the water for over an hour and of course the water continues to run and migrates down. Management should be able to immediately determine whether or not the pipe that broke contains contaminants. Many pipes have additives in the water such as glycol ethers and rust inhibitors.
Glycol ethers are commonly used in roof top heating systems to prevent them from freezing in the winter. This additive is considered to be a water pollutant. Should a pipe with such additives break, none of the additive can enter the sewer system. The contaminated water cannot even enter the sanitary sewer system. The water must be collected and a Generator's License must be obtained from the Ministry of the Environment and all the contaminated water must be disposed of by a hazardous materials expert. The professional water restorer should be able to review an MSDS of the water additive upon arriving at the scene. The restorer should also be able to review the building's survey so that a proper designated substance hazard assessment can be properly completed before removal of any water damaged building materials can commence.
The Standard for Water Damage restoration is the IICRC S500 Standard for Water Damage Remediation 3rd Edition. This Standard divides water losses into three categories of water type. Category 1 which is commonly called Clean Water, Category 2 which is referred to as Gray Water and Category 3 otherwise known as Black Water.
Category 1 water poses no risk to humans and can be cleaned up easily. However as Cat 1 water travels over floor coverings and through building materials the classification of the water may change to Cat 2 or Cat 3.
Category 2 water is contaminated water that can cause significant discomfort to humans. Water from aquariums, toilet water (not beyond the trap), waterbeds, washing machines and dishwashers are all good examples of Cat 2 water.
Category 3 water is considered grossly contaminated and poses significant harm to humans. The presence of pathogenic bacteria and viruses is common is such water. Any groundwater or water from sewers, drains etc from beyond the trap is considered Cat 3.
When Cat 2 water comes into contact with porous and permeable items consideration should be given to disposing of these items. Any such item that comes in contact with cat 3 water must be disposed of. As an industry instructor I am always asked the proper way of performing water damage and preventing any possibility of mould. Well the prevention of mould is quite simple. Get everything dry. I don't mean dry to the hand, I mean dry to the moisture meter.
The primary concern for any professional water damage restorer is to get the walls, ceilings and floors dry. People with no experience in water damage are usually focused on the floor coverings being dry. However the biggest cause of mould in water damage is walls constructed of drywall not being dried properly. Air movers and specialty wall drying systems must be put in place immediately and left running otherwise mould will grow. There are many interesting systems available to dry structural components. Take a look at some of the tools we use at www.dryit.ca.
Unit owners and property mangers will always find a water damage a bit chaotic. However as long as the these two basics are followed---extract the water and dry the structure immediately, secondary damage will be kept to a minimum.
James (Lee) Senter is the owner of Dryit. Lee is an IICRC Approved Water Damage Remediation Instructor teaching classes across Canada. Lee is an IICRC Master Water Restorer, Master Fire and Smoke Restorer and the Chair of the IICRC Canadian Health and Safety Technician committee. Dryit is a disaster restoration company specializing in dealing with condominiums and office buildings in Southern Ontario. Dryit guarantees one hour response time in regular traffic flow hours. Dryit offers water damage remediation, smoke and fire remediation and mould remediation. Our website is http://www.dryit.ca.
Water Bed Filled Too High
