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The perils of a water damaged property

Writer's picture: WA FAFWA FAF

One of the many horror stories we've encountered in 18 years of Flood Restoration:


During the storms in 2021 a lot of country West Australian towns were inundated with water and required emergency make-safes.

This particular job was no different to the 3 jobs our two technicians had already attended that morning.

Water had flowed down the gentle slope leading to the front doors of a sporting facility located in a country town 1 hour from Perth.


Mud and dirty water had flowed inside and as is typical for category 3 water loss the carpets and furnishings would need to be disposed off due to the risk from the bacteria in the water.


Our technicians meet a middle-aged woman who was there to let them into the facility to start restoration work. She worked as Facility manager and had rushed down to meet us while her 3 young children were at day-care. As she walked down the slope she slipped and fell landing on her knee which resulted in a nasty cut.


We helped her up and while a tech went to the van for a first aid kit the other called an ambulance.


She was not overly concerned about the wound, being more embarrassed than suffering any pain. but we insisted on the ambulance and the wound was treated with disinfectant and wrapped while waiting for them to arrive.


A technician holding a portable water extractor, speaking with a lady who is barefoot in the floodwater

The techs chatted with her and she told them how her partner was fifo worker and she had three preschool aged kids to collect that afternoon.


The paramedics retreated and wrapped the wound before taking her to the local hospital.

We attended on the Friday and on Monday our office followed up to see how the women was and arrange another site attendance.


The news was catastrophic  she had been taken to hospital where the wound was cleaned and treated then she had been discharged.

That evening she had gone back to hospital with swelling and pain

Saturday she was airlifted to a hospital in Perth with septicaemia and had her leg amputated.

Sunday morning, she passed leaving behind a husband and 3 little children.

Bacteria can double every hour in a wet property, and this can lead to very dangerous amounts of bacteria and mould.


There are a few pathogenic viruses associated with water damage:


  • Hepatitis A

  • Enteroviruses

  • Norovirus

  • Rotavirus


With water damage, the primary concern is faecal bacteria, which are those species found in sewage.  Pathogenic faecal bacteria include:


  • Escherichia coli

  • Enterococcus

  • Faecal Streptococcus

  • Clostridium difficile

  • Leptospira

  • Helicobacter pylori


The following are examples of building-related diseases caused by bacteria:


  • Legionnaires’ Disease

  • MRSA

  • Tuberculosis

  • Digestive tract and respiratory disease from faecal bacteria

 

 The risk is real, and all care should be taken.  


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