Property Recovery 911 was summoned on a Sunday in July 2018 to an industrial warehouse and office complex for water damage restoration in Chester county, Pennsylvania. The cause of loss was a ruptured 8″ overhead water supply line serving an expansive sprinkler system covering this 500,000 square foot facility. The sprinkler system water supply consisted of a 250,000 gallon on premises bulk water tank, which emptied its entire contents causing flood damage throughout the structure.
Water Damage Restoration & Water Quality
The water quality immediately degenerated to category 3 status as a result of apparent chemical spill residues embedded in the concrete flooring throughout the warehousing areas. Category 3 water is grossly contaminated and can contain pathogenic, toxigenic or other harmful agents that may cause significant adverse reactions to humans if contacted or consumed. Examples of Category 3 water can include, but are not limited to: sewage; waste line 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) and/or mold.
Although the flood water was most certainly clean at the point of release from the onsite water tank via an overhead pipe, upon making contact with the warehouse floor and moving throughout the facility, the flood waters undoubtedly degraded to category 3. There are several key points within the ‘category 3’ definition that corroborate classifying this flood restoration as a category 3 water damage event. This warehouse was formerly inhabited by a commercial printing company for 44 years, an organization and industry that routinely used toluene, xylene, benzene, ethylbenzene, tetrachloroethylene and bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate. Additionally, the warehouse floor has and has had a constant stream of motor vehicle traffic, the result of which was visually apparent fuel and oil deposits throughout the structure.
Flood Restoration Project Focus
Our focus on this flood restoration project were two expansive office complexes located at opposite ends of the building; satellite offices serving the loading docks as well as the main office complex on the east end of the structure. After water extraction, we strategically deployed structural drying equipment throughout both office complexes prior to de-construction in an effort to break the high levels of relative humidity and slow the possible onset of microbial activity.
De-construction procedures commenced immediately following water extraction, with the addition of several demolition teams to our core group in order to rapidly and efficiently remove saturated building materials. Extended drying times following de-construction were not necessary and moisture readings not possible due to the presence of metal studding, as per the IICRC S500 we did allow 48 hours of continuous of structural drying once saturated building materials were removed. De-construction in the presence of structural drying equipment as well as the category 3 water designation required partial disassembly and thorough cleaning of our machinery after the water damage restoration was completed.
Water Damage Restoration Services
In the aftermath of a water event, seek professional assistance. Highly trained and certified professionals have the qualifications and manpower to safely and rapidly mitigate the circumstances of your flood damage restoration project. Consequences of an uneducated approach to a very serious problem can result in injury, illness and ancillary issues that pose additional threats to the property, contents and occupants.
Property Recovery 911 offers residential, commercial, municipal and industrial flood restoration services. In the event of such a crisis, contact us at (267) 808-7200, we have the experience to safely and professionally restore the site to pre-loss condition. Our specialists are on call 24/7/365 and can be on location any time of day to quickly and professionally resolve the issue. Furthermore, we deal with insurance company adjusters on your behalf to help secure coverage for flood restoration services.