The three categories at a glance
| Category | Typical sources | What it usually means for porous materials |
|---|---|---|
| Category 1 (clean) | Broken supply line, faucet, water heater, ice maker line, rain through a window before it touches anything dirty | Carpet, pad and drywall may be dried if work starts promptly |
| Category 2 (gray) | Washing machine or dishwasher discharge, toilet bowl overflow without solids, aquarium, sump overflow | Carpet pad is usually replaced; other materials are cleaned and dried case by case |
| Category 3 (black) | Sewer backup, toilet overflow with feces, river or creek flooding, surface runoff entering the house | Porous materials that were wet are generally removed and discarded |
Clean water gets dirtier the longer it sits
A clean supply-line leak that sits for a couple of warm days picks up dirt from the subfloor and whatever lives in the carpet. By the time someone measures it, most restorers treat it as gray water. Clean water that runs into a basement floor drain and picks up what's in the drain line loses its clean status too.
Speed matters for exactly this reason. The same leak in the same room can mean carpet dried and saved on day one, and carpet torn out on day three. Expect a restorer to ask when the leak started and what the water passed through on its way.
Which category are you probably dealing with?
- IfThe water came straight from a pressurized pipe and was found within hoursThenLikely Category 1. Prioritize extraction and drying.
- IfIt came from an appliance drain, a toilet tank or bowl without solids, or sat for a day or moreThenLikely Category 2. Expect pad replacement and cleaning of surfaces.
- IfIt came up from a floor drain, toilet with waste, or from outsideThenTreat it as Category 3. Stay out of it and get professional help with protective equipment.
If the water is gray or black
- Wear waterproof gloves and boots if you must enter, and wash thoroughly afterward.
- Don't vacuum it with a household vacuum or shop vacuum you plan to reuse for clean jobs.
- Throw out food, cosmetics and medicine that the water touched.
- Set wet items aside for your adjuster to see rather than putting them out for trash right away.
- Ask the restorer how they will clean and treat surfaces before drying, and what they will test afterward.
General information for Parker, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.