Safety tips for accessing your water tank

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Safety tips for accessing your water tank

• If youre like most people, youve never thought
  about cleaning your water tank. You might look
  into it once in a while and notice a layer of
  murky sedimentation at the bottom 0f the tank.
  You might even think its a good idea to clean
  out that muck, and make a mental note to wash it
  once the tank empties. However, your water tank
  is a back-up water source, so by the time its
  supply starts to run low, youre in panic mode,
  doing rain dances and trying to figure out how to
  refill it. At that point, tank hygiene will be
  the last thing on your mind.

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• Similarly, tanks need to be inspected regularly
  to be sure there arent any cracks or leaks. We
  often neglect this until the tank is almost empty
  from an unseen leak, at which point it may need
  complete replacement. Its not really surprising
  that were averse to maintaining our tanks. After
  all, even a tank as small as 1,500 litres can
  submerge a human adult, and popular tank sizes
  like 20,000 litres are positively claustrophobic.

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• Also, we assume cleaning the tank requires
  pouring out all the water which were reluctant
  to do then climbing into the tank and scrubbing
  out all the dirt. That probably needs soap which
  then has to be completely rinsed out to avoid
  giving your water a soapy taste. That uses up way
  more water, and frankly, doesnt sound like fun.
  But apart from the annoyance and labour-intensive
  factor, its not really safe.

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From darkness into light

• The average water tank is painted in a dark shade
  to keep light out. This is important because
  sunlight encourages the growth of germs and
  bacteria, so keeping them in the dark will
  largely inhibit their growth. That said, there
  are certain micro-organisms that can grow in
  lightless spaces. They breed underwater, meaning
  they have no access to free oxygen and have to
  gain some by breaking down water molecules into
  hydrogen and oxygen.

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• This anaerobic particles are toxic to humans.
  Once the water level is low enough for you to
  slip in without drowning, these toxic
  micro-organisms are oxygen-starved, so when you
  get into the tank, they can easily overwhelm you,
  leading to breathing problems and suffocation.
  Thats why its not advisable for you to clean
  your own tank. Call in professional tank cleaners
  who can use vacuuming equipment to access the
  tank without getting inside it.

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• Another popular option especially for
  underwater tanks is to use a robot. It gets
  inside the tank and shows you a visual feed,
  detecting any issues that need repair. Ideally,
  you need to clean your tank every year, and if
  you can do it without entering the tank, thats
  even better. Another caveat is to avoid using
  soap. Think about washing a cup or glass by
  putting dish soap into it, then filling it with
  water to rinse it.

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Soap suds are forever

• The more water you add, the more soap bubbles
  form, and in the end, you could end up using 3
  litres of water to get all the soap out of that
  single 200ml glass. Now multiply this scenario
  for a water tank with a capacity of several
  thousand litres. It could take forever to wash
  all the soap out, and youll waste a lot of water
  in the process. Thats why its smarter to use a
  high pressure rinse and no soap at all.
• Also, rinse your tank before the layers of sludge
  and slime are too thick to be rinsed away with
  plain water. You can finish off your maintenance
  with food-grade chlorine, anti-bacterial
  solutions, or disinfectant. If your tank is more
  than 5,000 litres, just call in an expert.
  Theyll save you time and do a much better job
  than you would on your own.

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• Theyll start by opening the bottom valve to
  empty the tank. Instead of letting it all drain
  at the tank base, use a hose pipe to redirect the
  water. This important because releasing all that
  water will let it seep beneath the tank, which
  could potentially weaken your tanks foundation.
  Once its as empty as it can be, lift the tank
  lid and use your jet hose to rinse out the walls
  and sides of your tank, draining the water out of
  the bottom outlet.

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Fill er up

• When the tank is clean, apply your selected
  disinfectant using the same high-pressure hose,
  then let it sit 12 hours to kill all the germs.
  Follow the instructions on your anti-bacterial
  wash pack. Some need to be rinsed off, others
  dont. Leave the sterilant in place overnight.
  The next day, drain all the medicated fluid,
  rinse if you need to, then close the bottom drain
  valve and fill the tank halfway.

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• Test the water to see if the chemical levels are
  safe before filling it up. If the amount of
  chemicals is too high, the water is unsafe for
  human use. Drain it, fill it to the halfway mark,
  then test it again. If you use too much
  disinfectant, you may have to repeat this step
  several times, and thats a lot of wasted water,
  so be sure to use just the right amount of
  chemical treatment. When youre sure your water
  is potable, fill it and put the lid back in
  place.

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