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Floodwater Contamination: What Florida Homeowners Should Know

Floodwater looks like water, and that is part of what makes it dangerous. It can look clear in a photograph, or it can look muddy and obviously dirty, but its appearance does not tell you what it carries. Floodwater picks up whatever it passes over and through, and that can include sewage, chemicals, fuel, debris and sharp objects, none of which are visible from the surface. That is why floodwater is treated as Category 3 contaminated water, and why it is never safe water.

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This guide explains floodwater contamination in general terms, why floodwater is not safe to touch, drink or clean up without protection, and why cleanup is professional-only. It gives no DIY cleanup advice. The flood damage cleanup page sets out the cleanup service in general terms.

What floodwater may carry

Floodwater that enters a home has travelled across streets, yards, drains and sewers, and it carries what it has picked up along the way. In general terms, that can include sewage from overwhelmed drains and sewers, chemicals from roads, garages and gardens, fuel and oil, and debris ranging from mud and silt to sharp objects hidden under the surface. None of these are reliably visible, and the water can look deceptively clear while still carrying contamination that makes it unsafe to touch.

The contamination is not limited to the water itself. Floodwater soaks into everything it touches: drywall, insulation, carpet and carpet padding, wood, furniture and stored belongings. Those materials are treated as contaminated once floodwater has reached them, and porous materials are usually removed rather than cleaned, because they cannot be reliably cleaned once they have absorbed contaminated water. Hard surfaces can usually be cleaned, but the decision is made by the professional on the basis of the material and the extent of the contamination.

Floodwater can also hide physical hazards under the surface. Sharp objects, broken glass, displaced drain covers, and uneven ground are all hidden by murky water, and wading through it risks cuts and falls as well as contact with contamination. That is a further reason not to enter floodwater, and it applies even in a home where the water looks shallow. The depth of the water does not change the hazards it hides, and a shallow layer can still conceal a sharp object or a hole in the floor.

Floodwater is not safe water

Floodwater is not safe water, and that statement needs no qualification. It is not safe to touch, it is not safe to drink, and it is not safe to clean up without professional protection and methods. That applies to floodwater from any source, whether it came from a river, from heavy rain, from a storm surge, or from water that has backed up through drains. The source does not change the treatment, because floodwater is treated as Category 3 regardless of where it came from.

The temptation after a flood is to start cleaning up straight away, and that temptation should be resisted. Mopping, vacuuming, scrubbing and moving contaminated items through clean parts of the house all spread contamination further, and doing that work without professional protection puts the person doing it at risk. Household cleaning products and ordinary gloves are not a substitute for professional equipment and methods, and a household clean cannot deal with contamination that has soaked into porous materials.

Children and pets are at particular risk, because they are more likely to touch the water, to put their hands to their faces, and to play in it. Keeping them away from floodwater, and away from rooms that have been flooded until a professional has dealt with them, is one of the most important steps a homeowner can take. The same applies to anyone who has been in contact with floodwater: that contact should be treated seriously, and any health concern should be raised with a medical professional rather than dismissed.

Floodwater Contamination: What Florida Homeowners Should Know — Florida water damage guide

What to do after a flood

When floodwater has entered a home, the first step is to stay out of the water and to keep everyone else out of it. Do not enter a flooded building, do not wade through floodwater to reach a shut-off or a belonging, and do not handle electrics in or near standing water. If water is near electrics, stay out and call for help. Shut off the water and power only if it is safe to do so from a dry place, and never wade in to do it.

Call a professional, and describe what has happened: where the water is, how deep it is, whether it is still rising, and whether it has reached other rooms. If the flooding is in the Orlando area, the water damage restoration in Orlando page is a starting point for arranging a visit. Take photos from a safe distance if that can be done without entering the water, and keep a record of when the flooding started and what was affected. That record is useful for the professional and for any insurance claim.

Do not run fans or air conditioning in a way that moves air from the flooded area through the rest of the house, and do not move contaminated items through clean parts of the property. Those steps keep a contained problem from spreading while a professional is on the way. The professional will establish the extent of the flooding, the category of the water, and the scope of the work, and that scope is confirmed with the operator before work is booked.

Professional cleanup after a flood

Professional flood cleanup covers, in general terms, removal of the floodwater, removal of affected porous materials where necessary, cleaning of the remaining surfaces, and drying of the structure. The exact methods used are confirmed with the operator. The order of the work is the same as for any Category 3 loss: the water is removed first, the affected materials are assessed, the materials that cannot be cleaned are removed, the remaining surfaces are cleaned, and the structure is dried through with moisture readings to confirm the drying.

Drying after a flood follows the same principles as drying after any water loss, and the structural drying and dehumidification page explains the process in general terms. After a flood, the drying check matters more, not less, because damp left behind after a contaminated loss can lead to mold growth, and the follow-up checks over the following weeks will show whether any damp or growth has appeared. No promise is made here that a property is safe to re-enter after cleanup, and that decision belongs to the professional who carried out the work.

Keeping a record of the work is useful for the same reasons as with any water loss: what was removed, what was cleaned, what the moisture readings were, and when the follow-up checks were done. That record helps if a problem recurs, and it helps with any insurance claim, because it shows the loss was dealt with step by step. Floodwater contamination is a serious matter, but it is a manageable one when it is dealt with by professionals, and the single most useful step a homeowner can take is to stay away from the water and call for help. After a flood, the rooms that were affected should be checked over the following weeks for damp, smell or mold, because damp left behind after a contaminated loss can lead to growth. Those follow-up checks are part of the job, and they are worth doing even when everything looks dry. A property that is checked and found sound is in a far stronger position than one that was never checked again.

Key Takeaways

Floodwater that enters a home has travelled across streets, yards, drains and sewers, and it carries what it has picked up along the way.
Floodwater is not safe water, and that statement needs no qualification.
When floodwater has entered a home, the first step is to stay out of the water and to keep everyone else out of it.
Professional flood cleanup covers, in general terms, removal of the floodwater, removal of affected porous materials where necessary, cleaning of the remaining surfaces, and drying of the structure.

Your Next Step

If this guide matches what you found at home, the next step is a visit — not a guess. Call and describe what you found, and the visit is arranged from what you describe. The Sewage Cleanup page explains what that service covers, and the water damage restoration page explains how the full job is put together when more than one room is affected.

Do not step into standing water where electrics may be involved, and if water is still coming in, turn off the main water supply for the home where you can reach it safely.

Keep the guides on this site bookmarked: the first guide, the signs guide, and the preparation guide cover the checks worth repeating — after moving in, and after a storm or heavy rain.

Water damage help is available across Florida. See water damage restoration in Edgewater Miami, FL for one local example, or find your town on the service areas page.