While it’s particularly important for people in areas with a history of flooding to be knowledgeable about water damage restoration, no one is immune from water damage. Your home and furniture can suffer from leaking pipes, overflowing sinks, and even simple humidity. While not all water damage leads to life threatening consequences, the health concerns caused by contaminated water are grave, and people should always act quickly to clean and dry any areas of their homes which have been damaged by water.

Wood is easily ruined by prolonged exposure to water and is particularly susceptible to carrying fungi and bacteria, so water damaged wood should be taken care of as soon as possible. Steel and other metals found in many homes can also be rusted by water, and paper is of course easily ruined by exposure to water. For all the above reasons, you should initiate restorative efforts as soon as you can.

As for the health risks, the most severe are tuberculosis and pneumonia. If you have black water in your home, which is water that is highly contaminated by bacteria, then you are at risk for these potentially lethal infections. Black water often comes in the form of seawater, river water and sewage water.

Other types of water damage can be less severe. The most benign classification is clean water and it is not contaminated. This refers to problems caused by something like a leaking appliance or overflow in a sink or tub. Though the water is not unsanitary, it can do some damage to materials in the house, like rotting wood or rusting metal, so drying the affected area quickly is advised.

Grey water is a more serious classification than clean water. It contains a significant amount of bacteria, though not as much as black water. Since gray and black water can cause illness in animals and people, if you think you may have this kind of water it’s best to call your environment protection agency or water bureau so your home can be investigated. If you end up staying in a contaminated, bacteria-carrying area, you are more at risk for serious illnesses.

Particularly following flooding, many people make the mistake of drinking contaminated water. To avoid this, it’s a good idea to boil all of your drinking water or put it through a water purification system, even if you’re unsure if it’s contaminated water or not.

Items and furniture made of wood that have been badly damaged by water should be discarded since mold will grow there easily. You should also make sure to wash all dishes with hot water and dry them thoroughly. Walls, furniture, and floors should also be dried right away so there is less opportunity for bacteria to flourish. A dehumidifier can be used to dry these, and to disinfect, you can use a vapor steam cleaner.

As water damage can be a very serious problem and threat to your health, people should be prepared and know how to minimize the likelihood of illness. If you can already have dehumidifiers, vapor steam cleaners and masks in your house, you’ll be ready to clean up and dry water damaged areas whenever you need to.

Learn more about water damage. Stop by George Archer’s site where you can find out all about sewage overflow cleanup and what it can do for you.