What to do with the flooded houses as a result of the blowing up of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant by the russian invaders

 
The walls and things in the houses absorbed moisture and water after flooding and rising water. This water was saturated with chemicals and substances from sewage and cemeteries and contained other life-threatening compounds and elements. It is poisonous water that has soaked into all surfaces in a few weeks.

There is a question of what to do. How can the flooded houses' walls, floors, and ceilings be appropriately disinfected? 

We addressed this question to Oleksii Breus's architecture and design bureau, and the manager and the team developed step-by-step instructions. 

A short summary of what to do and in what sequence with flooded high-rise buildings in Kherson (and not only) is given below: 

1. Inspect the area around the flooded building and check whether there are no sinkholes, subsidence, or landslides. 

2. Inspect the building and ensure that its structures are not damaged and do not pose a potential danger for people to stay and live in it. Inspect the supporting structure for cracks and the nature of their opening. 

3. After the water has been completely pumped out of the building, it is necessary to ensure no water is inside the wall and floor structures.  The decoration, screed, floor insulation, as well as plasterboard, lining, plaster, and other layers on the walls must be dismantled to drain the main supporting structure. In addition, in case of flooding the floor between the basement and the first floor, removing possible water from the voids of the slabs (by making appropriate holes in them) is essential. 

4. Remove and clean all surfaces of dirt and water. All visible remains of dirt brought by water should be removed from the surfaces of structures (brick walls, concrete foundations, foundation blocks, gas blocks, etc.)  

5. Drainage of all rooms. Excess moisture must be removed before disinfection. Various tools and methods (desiccants, heat guns, moisture-absorbing materials, etc.) will be useful here. 

6. Implementation of penetrating antiseptic measures: treatment of all surfaces that were flooded and above with antiseptic means for disinfection and destruction of dangerous substances. The main task is to ensure the protection of structures to the maximum depth against the development of fungal and mold formations. Here, it is essential to use certain disinfectants, depending on the type of surfaces to be treated. 7. Waterproofing of surfaces and elimination of odors comes the next. 

In more detail, we advise you to watch the recording of our conversation with Oleksiy Breus and read the document that Oleksiy and his team developed specifically for our buildings. 

Do not ignore or skip steps because your life and the lives of your loved ones may depend on it.