Water Conditions at the Olympics Explained

Sochi_WaterJournalists have been live-tweeting the dreadful situations in Sochi – the location of this year’s Winter Olympics. Some of them have been funny. However, some have been downright sad. Through social media communications, we have learned that some of the hotels had no running water at all – due to broken water mains – and several other hotel occupants were told not to use the water on their faces, because it “contains something very dangerous”. Thus, causing guests to brush their teeth and wash their faces with bottled water. Really living the Kardashian lifestyle in Sochi!

The picture above was sent by one of the reporters from her hotel bathroom. And no, this was not an Instagrammed photo of their breakfast apple juice. This is water directly from the hotel bathroom faucet. Based on this photo, this would be considered Category 2 (or maybe 3) water. Either way, you would not want to drink it.

You may not have thought of this, but there are actually three different categories of water damage in the world of property damage restoration. The categories define the severity of contagion. Below is a breakdown of the three different, in an effort to give you a better understanding of what’s happening in those glasses in the picture above:

· Category 1: Water originates from a clean water source (i.e. dishwasher, ice maker, etc.).
· Category 2: Water contains major contagion and has the likelihood to cause illness or discomfort if contacted or consumed by people.
· Category 3: Water is grossly contaminated and can contain pathogenic, toxigenic or other harmful agents.

If your house floods, working with a restoration company that understands this concept is critically important to ensure the repairs and cleanup to your house are executed correctly so you don’t need more costly repairs later, or even worse, the incorrect work leads to someone in your home getting ill.

While the hosts at the 2014 Winter Olympics are being flooded with criticisms, the water damage restoration professionals with Paul Davis are here to take care of your real floods in the States. No matter the category.

Here’s to a competitive, successful, and SAFE 2014 Winter Olympics!