waterdamagequotesAfter the water · the first 48 hours
Water damage cleanup: what Health Canada says to do, in order, and what has to go
After a leak or a flood, the next two days decide most of the bill. Water that is pumped out and dried quickly leaves a repair; water that sits leaves mould, and mould turns a drying job into a demolition job. Health Canada’s flood cleanup guidance is written for exactly this window, and it is specific about what to do, in what order, and what to throw away.
This page sets that guidance out step by step: safety first, then the water, then what has to go, then drying, with the rules for sewage and for the generators and pumps people bring in. It also covers what your insurer expects of you in the same hours. When the water was a sewer backup, read sewer backup as well; for a basement specifically, basement flooding.
The short version
- Health Canada: shut off power to the flooded area at the breaker, and wear rubber boots while standing in water.
- Throw out insulation, drywall, carpet, particleboard, mattresses and soft furnishings that were in the water and cannot be dried.
- Dry within 48 hours: Health Canada says mould is less likely if the house is dried in that window.
- Suspect sewage? Call public health. Never run outdoor combustion equipment indoors.
Clean water, grey water, sewage
| What you have | What the industry calls it | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Clean water from a supply line | Category 1 | Restorer may proceed without contamination controls |
| Water with significant contamination | Category 2 | Remediation before drying, with contamination controls |
| Sewage; much flood water | Category 3 (grossly contaminated) | Remediation before drying, with contamination controls |
| Any water left for days | Category can change | Time and temperature matter |
| Water that has wicked up drywall | Wet building material | Health Canada’s wall-removal tests apply |
The standard's own examples of Category 3 include “sewage; waste line backflows that originate from beyond any trap regardless of visible content or colour; all forms of flooding from seawater; rising water from rivers or streams.”
ANSI/IICRC S500 (2021), Section 10.6.7, quoted in the S500 Consensus Body position statement · 2021
For Category 2 or 3. Note the modal shift: remediation should come first, but contamination controls and worker protection are shall. A Category 3 scope with no containment and no worker protection is internally inconsistent.
ANSI/IICRC S500 (2021), Section 12.2.6, quoted in the S500 Consensus Body position statement · 2021
The standard adds that “time and temperature can affect or retard the amplification of contaminants, thereby affecting its category”. So category is not fixed at the moment the water arrives — which cuts both ways, and is the reason a delayed response can legitimately produce a worse category than the same loss found on day one.
The categories come from the restoration industry’s standard, and the first question any cleanup has to answer is which one you have. Clean water from a burst pipe is a drying job if you move quickly. Sewage is a removal job from the start. Storm water is not automatically sewage — the standard’s own consensus body said so in 2026 — but flood water that has crossed a yard or a street usually is not clean either.
ANSI/IICRC S500 Consensus Body Position Statement, March 16, 2026 · 2026
The Consensus Body issued this because the word “can” in the Category 3 definition was being read as “is”. In the standard, “can” signifies “an ability or possibility open to a user of the document… not a component of the accepted standard of care”. If your roof leaked in a storm and the scope came back as Category 3, this is the document to put in front of whoever wrote it.
Before you start
Health Canada, Flood cleanup: keep in mind indoor air quality · 2024
Under “Put your own safety first”, with: avoid electrical shock, and wear rubber boots at all times while standing in water. The page lists disposable gloves, N95 masks and goggles for the work, and pumps or pails, then wet/dry vacuums, for removing water.
Electricity is the risk that kills, not the water. If the breaker panel is in the flooded area or you would have to stand in water to reach it, do not touch it; call your electricity utility or an electrician. Health Canada’s kit list is short: disposable gloves, an N95 mask and goggles, plus pails, mops, sponges, plastic bags and unscented detergent. Photograph everything before you move it — that is for the insurer, below.
Health Canada, Flood cleanup: keep in mind indoor air quality · 2024
And: make sure there is a working carbon monoxide detector. Generators and gas pumps used to dry a basement belong outside.
Getting the water out
Health Canada’s order is pumps or pails for standing water, then a wet/dry vacuum for what is left, then the mud and debris. Two cautions from the provincial guidance apply. Run any gas pump or generator outside, with the exhaust away from doors and windows. And if the ground outside is still saturated, do not empty a basement too quickly — British Columbia’s flood guide warns that exterior water pressure could collapse the walls.
Government of British Columbia, Sewage Systems and Flooding · 2021
About the flooding of a private sewage system. If sewage has backed up into the basement, the guide says to clean the area and disinfect the floor with half a cup of chlorine bleach to 4.5 litres of water, and if the system backs up into the house to check the tank first for an outlet blockage.
What has to go
Health Canada, Flood cleanup: keep in mind indoor air quality · 2024
“Cannot be dried” is the operative phrase: the test is whether the material can be dried, not whether it looks ruined.
Health Canada, Flood cleanup: keep in mind indoor air quality · 2024
The page also says flooring soaked by flood water should be removed and discarded.
Health Canada’s test is whether a material can be dried, not whether it still looks usable. Insulation and drywall that have been soaked hold water inside where air cannot reach it; carpet and its underpad hold it underneath. The walls come out completely when the water was deep, stood for days, or the space stayed humid; otherwise, what was wet and cannot be dried still goes. Wet flooring that was soaked by flood water is removed and discarded, Health Canada says.
Health Canada, Guide to addressing moisture and mould indoors · 2020
Mould on a painted surface can be cleaned; mould under the paint, or in the board, means the board comes out.
Before anything goes to the curb, photograph it and, where your insurer asks, keep a sample. An adjuster cannot price a carpet that is already in a landfill.
Drying, and the 48 hours
Health Canada, Flood cleanup: keep in mind indoor air quality · 2024
The same page: rapid drying is important to prevent mould growth; ventilate or dehumidify until the house is dry. Date modified November 26, 2024.
Health Canada, Guide to addressing moisture and mould indoors · 2026
“Mould will begin to grow in an area with excessive moisture within 48 hours.” Every timeline on this site is built backwards from this number.
Two Health Canada documents give the same number: mould begins within 48 hours where moisture is excessive, and a house dried within 48 hours is less likely to grow it. That is the deadline the whole cleanup is working to. Ventilate where the air outside is dry, run dehumidifiers, and move air across wet surfaces. Health Canada’s indoor target once the space is dry is 30 to 50 per cent relative humidity. Clean unaffected surfaces with a HEPA vacuum rather than a broom, which only moves the dust around.
Health Canada, Guide to addressing moisture and mould indoors · 2020
Health Canada's recommendation for indoor air. The same guide asks you to dry window frames and sills daily where condensation forms, and to check that exhaust fans are vented to the outside and not into the attic. Date modified April 9, 2020.
If mould has already started, size decides who cleans it. Health Canada’s line is a single patch over three square metres: past it, a qualified professional. See mould removal.
Health Canada, Guide to addressing moisture and mould indoors · 2026
Health Canada recommends a qualified professional assess and clean up large areas of mould. This is the threshold, and it is measurable with a tape.
When it is sewage
Health Canada, Flood cleanup: keep in mind indoor air quality · 2024
The page says children, pregnant women and people with respiratory problems should never handle water and materials contaminated by sewage, and asks you to establish first whether the water is clean or sewage-contaminated.
Sewage changes three things. Who should do the work: Health Canada says children, pregnant women and anyone with respiratory problems should not handle it at all. What is saved: porous materials that sewage touched are removed rather than dried. And how surfaces are cleaned: BC’s guide gives a disinfecting solution of half a cup of chlorine bleach to 4.5 litres of water for floors after a sewage backup. For most households a sewage cleanup is a job for a restoration company, and the sewer backup page covers what a competent one does on the first visit.
What your insurer expects in the same hours
Insurance Bureau of Canada, How to file a home insurance claim · 2026
IBC describes this as a requirement of the policy itself, not a courtesy. It adds that in the event of loss policyholders are obligated to protect their property from further damage if it is safe to do so — boarding up windows, putting tarps over damaged roofs — or hiring a qualified professional if doing the temporary repairs yourself would not be safe.
The cleanup and the claim run at the same time. Your policy obliges you to limit further damage once you know about it — which is the cleanup itself — and waiting for an adjuster before you pump or dry is not what that duty means. Call the insurer first, photograph before you remove, keep receipts for pumps, dehumidifiers and anything you buy, and keep a list of what went out. Whether the water is covered at all depends on where it came from: a sudden plumbing failure is the standard case; sewer backup and overland water need optional endorsements. See duty to mitigate and what is covered.
Insurance Bureau of Canada, Water Damage and Flood Protection · 2026
This is the clause most household leaks are settled under. IBC also lists water damage from an appliance malfunction as covered, while the cost of repairing the appliance itself is typically excluded.
Why this site has nothing to gain from your answer. We are paid a fixed amount for each enquiry, agreed before it is sent. It does not move with the size of the job, with whether you book anything, or with which company you pick. So there is no version of this page where steering you is worth anything to us — which is also why you will not find a company named, rated or recommended anywhere on this site.
Questions people actually ask
What is the first thing to do after water damage?
Make it safe. Health Canada says to put your own safety first, avoid electrical shock, wear rubber boots while standing in water and shut the power off to the flooded area at the breaker box, if you can do so safely. Then photograph the damage and call your insurer.
How long do I have to dry out water damage before mould grows?
Health Canada says your house and furnishings are less likely to grow mould if they are dried within 48 hours, and that mould begins to grow within 48 hours in an area with excessive moisture.
Does wet drywall have to be removed?
Health Canada says to dispose of drywall and insulation that have been exposed to flood water and cannot be dried, and to remove finished walls completely if the water was several feet high, took many days to drain, or the area was very humid for an extended period.
Can I clean up sewage myself?
Health Canada says children, pregnant women and people with respiratory problems should never handle water and materials contaminated by sewage, and to contact local public health if you suspect sewage contamination. Porous materials touched by sewage are removed rather than dried.
Can I run a generator or gas pump in the basement?
No. Health Canada says not to use combustion equipment designed for outdoor use indoors, and to make sure there is a working carbon monoxide detector.
Should I wait for the adjuster before cleaning up?
No. IBC says your policy requires you to act to limit any further damage. Photograph first and keep receipts and a list of what you discard, but start removing water and drying.
Where to read next
- Basement flooding
- Sewer backup
- Duty to mitigate
- Mould removal
- Basement mould
- Restoration cost in Toronto
Sources cited on this page
- ANSI/IICRC S500 (2021), Section 10.6.7, quoted in the S500 Consensus Body position statement
- ANSI/IICRC S500 (2021), Section B Definitions, quoted in the S500 Consensus Body position statement of March 16, 2026
- ANSI/IICRC S500 (2021), Section 12.2.6, quoted in the S500 Consensus Body position statement
- ANSI/IICRC S500 Consensus Body Position Statement, March 16, 2026
- Health Canada, Flood cleanup: keep in mind indoor air quality
- Government of British Columbia, Sewage Systems and Flooding
- Health Canada, Guide to addressing moisture and mould indoors
- Insurance Bureau of Canada, How to file a home insurance claim
- Insurance Bureau of Canada, Water Damage and Flood Protection
Every figure above was read from the source it is attributed to on September 20, 2026. How we check this.
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