Water is undoubtedly the most important part of our lives and is something one cannot do without. While it is true that water is essential to human health and is largely used for domestic consumption, a lot of diseases are caused if one consumes water in its contaminated form.
Potable water tank cleaning is an essential part of water hygiene and Legionella control. Conducting risk assessment and regular cleaning will remove these from the system, ensuring it is clean, safe and compliant.
How do the tanks get “contaminated”?
First of all, the water source itself that is feeding into the water tanks has to be of good quality. Water coming from the local authorities has been filtered and then is being distributed. This is again being processed through the system of the client
The filtration system installed before the storage tanks are not 100% effective. There will always be some debris that will get though and go in the storage tanks. Over time, dirt, dust, debris, mold and harmful bacteria, can build up in the water tank.
Stagnant, low circulation water sources can be another potential breeding ground for unwanted and harmful bacteria. Stagnation can be caused by many factors including under – utilising water, using an excessively large tank, and issues in your water system causing blockages or poor flow. These factors aside, there will always be some stagnation in water tanks. Therefore, regular cleaning and disinfection is essential even if these risks are low.
A closer look at the risks
In case water has been stagnant in the water distribution network, the risk of microbiological proliferation or contamination by Legionella is higher as this is a suitable environment for them to multiply.
Legionella bacteria typically live in rivers, lakes and soil, where they rarely sicken people. But once bacteria enter building’s plumbing system, drinking water distribution systems and cooling towers, they can multiply rapidly in warm, stagnant water.
Microbiological presence can be successfully eliminated via regular disinfection of water supplies. chlorinate the water in the tank to the specified concentration in mg/litre (ppm) of free residual chlorine.
How often should you clean your water tank?
When and how often you should clean will differ depending on:
- The water source coming into the tank.
- If a filtration system is not available, lot of deposits will be accumulated over time which will require mechanical cleaning.
- If the water is being stagnant or not.
- Water testing showing traces of bacteria in the tank.
It is recommended to perform a tank cleaning once per year to maintain good water hygiene, human health and safe water distribution systems.
Procedure of tank cleaning
We offer our services for tank cleaning and our scope of work comprises of the below:
- Removal of accumulated silt/Mud/Sand deposits in tank by mechanical cleaning.
- Chemical disinfection of the water tank and associated pipeline if required.
- Microbiological water test after disinfection (on first refill of the tank)
- Submission of certified third-party lab test report for microbiological test.