Category 1 water

What it means

Category 1 is the cleanest of the three water categories in the ANSI/IICRC S500 Standard for Professional Water Damage Restoration. Trade explanations of the standard describe it as water from a sanitary source with little risk of harm through skin contact, ingestion or inhalation.

The category describes contamination, not volume. A small leak and a flooded floor can both be Category 1. The restorer makes the call at the start of the job, based on the source and what the water touched on its way. A Cleanfax review of the standard notes that even a pipe break can carry contaminants in some homes, which would move it out of Category 1.

Why it matters to your claim or your bill

Category decides the scope. With Category 1 water, many materials can often be dried in place rather than torn out, which usually means a smaller bill and a faster job. That is why the category on your estimate matters. If a company writes Category 2 or 3 for a clean supply-line leak, ask what it saw that justified the change. Our guide to water damage categories and classes shows how the category and the class work together on an estimate.