How often do you consider cleaning the water tank of your office building? We all are so caught up in our day-to-day lives that we tend to ignore cleaning the water tank.

This attitude however, can result in serious health issues. Not many people are aware of the fact that drinking contaminated water is a major cause of illnesses. Keeping the water tank and reservoir clean is an important part of maintaining the water facility of a building.

At this point, you may have a few questions.

• How is the water tank cleaned?
• How long do we have to wait before we can store water for drinking?

To start off with, there are two common ways of cleaning water tanks. One method is where a labourer physically goes into the tank and scrubs the walls, ensuring he thoroughly cleans all corners and edges. The other method of cleaning involves jet cleaners, anti-bacterial agents and disinfectants.

Here are the steps taken by professionals to clean and disinfect your office water tank:

Step 1: Clean the tank

The first obvious step is to empty out the water tank. To do this, simply open the covering lid and drain out the water. Clean and scrub the internal walls of the water tank with a mixture of detergent and clean water. You can use a hard bristled brush or a high-pressure jet. Take special care to clean corners and joints so that none of the original liquid remains.

Step 2: Chlorinate the tank

This step involves disinfecting of the water tank with the help of chlorine. Fill the tank with clean water up to ¼ level and then mix a concentrated solution of High Test Hypochlorite (HTH) granules, which contain 50-70% chlorine. Keep mixing the solution as you pour and then completely fill the tank with clean water. Close the tank, leaving the mix for a day. Usually, the use of too much chlorine is avoided as it can have side effects and harm your health. After a day, empty the tank completely and carefully dispose the disinfecting water. Remember to clean and disinfect any pipes or hoses connected to the tank.

Step 3: Test for residual chlorine

The final stage is to check if small amounts of chlorine are left behind. To do this, refill the tank with clean water, and using a comparator, test for residual chlorine leftovers. If the chlorine concentration is 0.5mg/l then it is safe to drink. However, if it is more than 0.5mg/l then you’ll need to refill the tank with another round of clean water, and re-test to check the chlorine concentration level.

This procedure is not followed by most agencies that are hired to clean water tanks. However, professional agencies that have acquired the most recent knowledge and skill and have had intensive training sessions and experience will never skip this test.

Since water is used for so many different things, it is vital that the source through which the water flows is clean and well maintained, in order to avoid water borne illnesses.

Call a professional water tank-cleaning agency to have your office building water tankers cleaned regularly.