Reporters in Sochi have been tweeting how poor the conditions have been for the this year’s Winter Olympics. Some have been funny. But, some have been downright appalling. Through communications, we have learned that some of the hotels had no running water at all – because of 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 travelers to wash their faces and brush their teeth with bottled water. Really living the Kardashian lifestyle in Sochi!
One reporter staying in Sochi sent the photo above, taken from her hotel bathroom. And no, this is not an Instagrammed photo of their morning apple juice. This is water straight out of the bathroom faucet. Based on this photo, this would be considered Category 2 (or maybe 3) water. Whatever the case, you would not want to drink it.
You have probably never thought of this, but there are actually 3 different categories of water damage in the world of property damage restoration. The categories refer to the severity of pollution. Below is a short breakdown of the different categories, just to give you a better idea of what’s happening in those glasses in the picture above:
· Category 1: Water originates from a sanitary water source (i.e. dishwasher, ice maker, etc.).
· Category 2: Water contains major contamination and has the likelihood to cause discomfort or illness if contacted or consumed by people.
· Category 3: Water is grossly contaminated and can contain pathogenic, toxigenic or other damaging agents.
If flooding in your home occurs, working with a restoration company that understands this concept is critically important in ensuring the cleanup and repairs to your house are executed correctly so you don’t need more costly repairs down the road, or worse yet, the wrong job leads to a member of the household getting sick.
So, while the hosts at this year’s 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 Winter Olympics, 2014!