A drinking water tank is one of the most crucial parts of a building. This serves a very important purpose, and its safety is a top priority. For instance, if there is any form of contamination in this tank, the health of multiple people will be at stake. Moreover, during this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, you must take extra care to ensure that your tank is sanitized. So, in this article, we are going to discuss the process to sanitize and disinfect your drinking water tank.
Reasons to sanitize your water tank
Water storage tanks are constantly used. Thus, it will have microbial growths around and inside it. To avoid any form of contamination, you must clean the tanks at least twice a year or as per the regulations of your local government. The bacteria that might grow in your tank due to continuous use can cause stomach infections and other serious illnesses.
COVID-19 has taught us that harmful viruses can be present everywhere and they can survive in open environments for a long period. So, we must ensure that all the items of daily use are properly cleaned to avoid any unwanted incident. Now, let us take a look at some of the common cleaning methods.
Common disinfectants to clean the water tank
The primary motive of this article is to discuss the process of routine cleaning with common household items. For instance, the most effective and commonly used ingredient for tank cleaning is liquid sodium hypochlorite, commonly known as chlorine bleach. Some of the other methods to sanitize a drinking water tank are calcium hypochlorite, ozone gas, and UV light. Now, let us see how to clean your water tank with chlorine bleach.
How to disinfect your water tank
Initial preparations
You need to do some preparations before you can disinfect your water tank. The first step of preparation is that you have to drain all the water out of the tank. Additionally, we suggest that you store some water in external containers as the entire process of disinfecting your tank might take a few hours. Moreover, only trained personnel with the proper equipment and protective gear should enter your water tank.
Measure the volume of the tank
The volume of a water tank has a very important role in the entire cleaning process. You need to measure the volume to determine the exact amount of disinfectant that you will need to clean the tank. For example, if you add more disinfectant then, the water tank might become unusable for a long time. Additionally, you must remember that the shape of the tank will also play a vital role in determining the exact amount of disinfectant that you will need.
Adding disinfectants to the water tank
Now that you have finished measuring the amount, it is time to add the disinfectant to the tank. Firstly, you have to fill a quarter of your tank with treated portable water. After this, you have to mix the household chlorine bleach to the water. We can use water tank insulation covers also which can increase tank life. Additionally, you must ensure that you mix the bleach thoroughly to create an even solution. The final step is to close the water tank and let this solution sit in the tank for at least 12 hours. After 12 hours, you have to drain this solution properly and ensure that not a single drop of it remains inside the tank.
How to clean the tank
Now that you have finished disinfecting the tank, you must clean the tank properly. A clean tank not only prevents all sorts of microbial growth but also has a longer lifespan.
Scrub the walls of the tank
The first step to cleaning your water tank is to scrub its outer and inner walls thoroughly. For this purpose, you can use a stiff brush as a sweeper or a high-pressure water jet. Additionally, you can create a mixture of detergent and hot water to properly clean the inner walls of the tank. You must have proper protective gear before entering the water tank.
Thorough cleaning
A thorough cleaning of the tank will ensure that there is no dirt or remains of the chemicals in the corners of the tank. In case you don’t clean the corners that have chemical remains, the water tank might have a bad odor and the water from the tank might taste bad. After the cleaning process is completed, we recommend that you keep the lid of the tank open for a few hours to allow fresh air circulation inside the tank.
Drain, Flush, and Refill
Cleaning the water tank won’t be effective if the pipes and water distributions system isn’t cleaned as well. So, we recommend that you flush the pipes thoroughly with a bleach solution until they are completely clean. Additionally, the water tank must also be flushed with fresh water a couple of times to ensure that there are no remains of the chemical inside the tank. After this process is completed, your water tank is completely clean and it is ready to be used again. So, you can refill the tank and it will start serving clean drinking water to the entire building.
Water tank maintaining agencies in India
Various companies have professional water tank cleaning solutions. They use professional and advanced equipment to clean your water tank in the best way possible. A prominent company is:
Nova Guard
Nova Guard is a one-step plumbing solution in India. They have a wide range of affordable products like water tanks, insulation jackets, etc. They also offer professional water tank sanitation. Some of their services include mechanized dewatering, sludge removal, high-pressure cleaning, vacuum waste removal, anti-bacterial treatment, and UV radiation.
The verdict
So, we can conclude that it is important to sanitize your water tank. This will not only help to prevent bacterial growth inside the water but will also help to increase the average lifespan of the tank. We recommend that you get your water tank professionally cleaned at least twice a year. We would also love to recommend Nova Guard as it is the best company if you want to get your water tank thoroughly cleaned within your budget.
