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Water, water, every where, nor any drop to drink. – S. Coleridge

The lament of a poor mariner, adrift on a calm sea with nothing but the ocean beneath. Thankfully most of us are land dwelling and have access to fresh water with a swift turn of the tap but sometimes the mains flow cannot cope with demand and that is where a cold water storage tank comes in. From a dinky plastic header to the current record holder of 436,633.45 cubic meters found in Qatar, having extra capacity on hand is just the ticket. Although like Cinderella slipper, size matters.

This feat of engineering holds the equivalent of over 174 Olympic swimming pools of fresh drinking water (which if you’re really nerdy 0.0000521212% of the total volume of water on Earth… give or take).

IT’S ALIVE…….

Well to a degree, the water that is fit for consumption, bathing etc has undergone different treatments to remove anything nasty but just as a sedentary lifestyle isn’t good for humans, water also requires movement to stay fresh and bacteria free. As useful as cold water storage tanks are they do have a large downfall in that if they don’t get sufficient usage they can get a little, erm, the technical term eludes so let’s go with ‘manky’. The incoming mains water has a certain chlorine percentage in it, which, depending on the condition of the pipes and or storage vessels might use up the reserve and that coupled with low / no turnover leaves the H2O defenceless against bacterial squatters.

Empire of dirt or crystal clear oasis?

As with anything, early detection is beneficial and whilst poking around in a roof void or a basement might not feature highly on anyone’s ‘to-do’ list, however a six month inspection of the cold water storage tanks can provide peace of mind or highlight issues that need addressing. As per Tom Jones, it’s not unusual to get some sediment in the tank, especially if the water works have been subject to ‘dig a hole and fill it’ road works. Low levels are not normally a problem, however significant deposits and an increase in the stored temperature and the tank can go from an oasis to a Bacterial Butlins remarkably quickly.

Not the worst, but I’ll not have a cuppa for now.

Now this isn’t meant to resemble an end of days prophecy and as above, routine checking coupled with  water quality sampling and any remedial action (cleaning and disinfection for example) can keep things as fresh as a daisy (or an Outkast track, if you prefer).

Size Matters

Continuing the cliches, size really does matter as requirements change. Maybe the current system was installed when the office was fit to burst with bodies, yet the company has engaged with hybrid working so the demand on the system has reduced.

So, what to do? 

Well, the options are numerous and to utterly depend on requirements. Maybe a reduction in the total volume of stored water or conversion to mains only (if practicable) or a flushing regime could be implemented, as running the tanks will turn the tank(s) over just as if the building was full. At the end of the day, you know your system best but if you’re in doubt, ask your local water hygiene contractor for advice*

*(Preferably Ara of course, but we won’t hold a grudge if not.)