After an incident of flood, water removal has to be pursued with urgency to prevent damage to the structures, especially when it's not clean water we're talking about. Water that has been inside the structure for several hours will cause extensive damage to items such as gypsum board on the walls and ceilings and insulation under the floor.

The process of water removal or drying should be initiated throughout the structure as quickly as possible. The most effective way to do water removal is cross ventilation - the opening up of all doors and windows, both interior and exterior, to allow the maximum amount of air movement within the structure. Heaters should never be used for drying up as they can cause the humidity inside the structure to increase.

All wet and soaked materials should undergo water removal and all the surfaces washed with detergent to get rid of mold and mildew. Protective gear should be worn during the exercise to protect the eyes, mouth and feet. You should therefore wear a mask, goggles, rubber gloves and boots when cleaning up. Hands should also be cleaned with warm water before meals.

When you commence water removal, always confirm that electricity has been turned off before entering a building. Verify also that gas-burning appliances are off and that no gas is leaking.

You should check the foundations of the building to confirm that flood waters have not deteriorated the mortar joints and weakened the foundation. For the floor, you should immediately remove the carpet throughout the structure before water removal as a soaked carpet contains high amounts of bacteria and in addition delays the water removal process.

You should also check the interior walls. Most such walls are made of wood studs and gypsum board which gets damaged after lengthy exposure to water. The ceilings should also be checked because excess humidity from the flood water may have caused swelling of the gypsum board causing it to pull loose from the ceiling frame.

The doors and cabinets, since they are generally made of wood, will have soaked water and might be unstable for use. You should therefore look out for swelling in the doors and cabinets as this will subsequently lead to shrinkage and might cause them to crack.

The ductwork systems should also be thoroughly flushed and disinfected because water that has filled the ductwork will deposit bacteria and germs. These germs will introduce illnesses into the structure when the system is utilized.

Extreme care should be taken to confirm that electrical appliances and gas lines are switched off and that there is no smell of leaking gas. For the electrical appliances you should not attempt to use them until their motors, controls and elements have been declared safe by a professional. This is because electric motors are normally fitted very close to the floor and could have absorbed water. Care should be exercised when you recognize that even a small amount of water can damage motors and bearings. When a repainting job is undertaken, confirm that the surfaces are dry before applying paint.