St. Lucia Police Traffic Station Battles Mold Contamination and a Termite Infestation

The island nation of Saint Lucia is perhaps best known for its beautiful beaches and stunning scenario, but even buildings in this popular Caribbean destination can encounter mold and termite problems. That is exactly what happened recently when the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and the Department of Environmental Health were contacted to investigate issues at the Police Traffic Department in Castries.
 
When water damage occurs anywhere, mold issues and termites can follow. This is due to the fact that mold will grow on most building materials and belongings when they are wet and some types of termites are attracted to water damaged wood.
 
While some types of water damage, like a natural flood, will leave obvious signs of damage, a small water leak in a wall cavity or crawl space may go unnoticed for months or more. This type of wet environment is ideal for both mold and termites that consume wet wood.
 
“Once a termite colony has been established, the termites can quickly begin to consume parts of the building resulting in structural damage and costly repairs,” said Harry Pena, President of Zimmetry Environmental. “Mold is the other common problem associated with water leaks and flooding events. The presence of mold can also cause indoor air quality concerns for building occupants. Inhalation exposure to elevated levels of mold can act as a respiratory irritant, allergen and trigger an asthma attack in some people with the condition. Many types of mold also produce mycotoxins and some types of mold associated with water damage can result in fungal infections in people with a weakened or suppressed immune system.”
 
Whether a water leak has caused a termite infestation, mold contamination or both, the source of the water damage needs to be addressed to prevent the condition from simply returning. Across the Caribbean, Puerto Rico’s Zimmetry Environmental offers building inspection and mold testing services to identify and address these types of problems. They also recently sponsored an educational video about water leaks, termites and mold that can be seen at: https://youtu.be/gnksCDgDWGY
 
To learn more about Zimmetry Environmental and their water damage, indoor air quality, environmental, or compliance testing and consulting services, please visit www.zimmetry.com, call (787) 995.0005 or email info@zimmetry.com .
 
About Zimmetry Environmental
Since 2002, Zimmetry Environmental has been providing environmental consulting services to building owners and managers, architects, engineers, EHS professionals, and Fortune 500 companies.  The company is based in Puerto Rico and provides services across the Caribbean and Central America.  The professionals at Zimmetry offer environmental compliance, indoor air quality, asbestos, lead-based paint, Phase I ESAs, and general environmental consulting services.
 

Contact Information

Paul Cochrane

President

Cochrane & Associates, LLC

Contact via E-mail