Have your potable water storage tanks been cleaned lately ?

 

Photo: Sediment being removed from Potable Water Storage Tank.

        The American Water Works Association recommends that tanks be cleaned at least every three years.  Recent focus on pharmaceuticals in water systems have made more people than ever aware of contaminates that may be lurking in their water supply.   Although pharmaceuticals in drinking water may be in the news the real threat is random bacteria and cryptosporidium spores.

The Threat of Bacteria-

Countless kinds of bacteria can make their way into a public water supply.  Chlorine and other treatment methods are our first line of defense.  When potable water storage tanks are clean small amounts of bacteria that survive the treatment process cycle through the system undetected and harmless due to the small quantity.  Sediment in the tank can capture and harbor these small amounts of bacteria.  The bacteria can start to grow hidden from chlorine deep in the sediment.  Chlorine can even be overwhelmed and depleted if a nitrate eating bacteria is collected.   As the bacteria continues to grow in the sediment month after month and year after year the threat to public health grows.       

  The Threat of Cryptosporidium

The threat of cryptosporidium outbreak is even greater with sediment in the floor of a water storage tank.   Again Sediment can harbor bacteria, cryptosporidium and other contaminates.  The best defense to insure a protozoa like  cryptosporidium will not take up residence in your water storage system may be to keep the tanks free of sediment.  In the Spring of 1993 over 100 people died as a result of a cryptosporidium outbreak that was directly associated with the Howard Avenue Water Purification Plant.  This was the largest water born disease ever documented in United States history.  It is estimated that over 400,000 people became ill with diarrhea.  

Due to the fact that cryptosporidium is a protozoa parasite with a thick outer shell it is highly resistant to disinfectants such as chlorine.  The best defense to ensure it will not inhabit your water system may be to make sure your water tanks remain sediment free.  This will remove and habitat that small amounts bacteria or protozoa could lodge and grow in, Preventing possible public health problem in the most simple way.  Keeping water storage tanks clean.    

Photo: Sediment being removed from Potable Water Storage Tank.

What is in the floor of your tank Call RON PERRIN to find out 1-888-481-1768

Meet our NEW DIVER

Our new diver has a lot of knowledge and skills to offer our customers.  We would like to welcome Matthew Leslie to our company.

 Matthew Leslie

We are working to make RON PERRIN WATER TECHNOLOGIES the most dependable company in the potable water industry.  Our people make the diffrence.  Cleaning and inspecting water storage tanks is what we do and we look forward to meeting you and working for your water system.

Is your drinking water clean?

Cleaning these tanks and towers is important and often overlooked.  The photo below is from a July 2007 cleaning of a potable water storage tank.  This is public drinking water that goes straight to the tap.   With all of the other problems water utility directors face day to day thinking about having the floor of their storage tanks cleaned is often overlooked.  In addition in the past it has been a major disruption to water service.  The tanks would normally need to be taken out of service drained and then cleaned.  Buckets and shovels have often been the primary tools. Today, potable water dive crews can enter the water system wearing a dry suit that keeps the diver in his own environment away from the water.  They are able to vacuum the floor of the tank clean removing sediment that may contain or become a future breeding ground for harmful bacteria.  See www.ronperrin.com for more information.

How they do it:

Divers wear dry suits so no part of the man is in contact with the water in the system.  They are then washed down with a chlorin solution to be in compliance with State and AWWA regulations. Below a diver prepares to enter the water storage tank.