Water Tank Cleaning
Combat dirt and debris, sediment, scale, sludge, biofilm, fouling, wall mould, stagnation, rust & corrosion, foreign bodies and plant growth.
Why do I need to clean my water tank?
Water tank cleaning is an essential part of water hygiene and Legionella control measures and something to be taken seriously both domestically and commercially. It is important that tanks are inspected regularly and cleaned when required to prevent bacterial proliferation. These tanks should be inspected annually for their condition to identify if a water tank clean is required.
An annual inspection of cold water storage tanks will determine if cleaning and/or disinfection is required, as stated in the ACoP L8 (HSG 274 Part 2). The water tank inspection will identify if a water tank clean is required or not. Get in touch today to book an inspection
Before & After
When and how often do I need a legionella risk assessment?
Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and in compliance with the Approved Code of Practice (ACoP L8, HSG 274), duty holders, including employers and those in control of premises, must ensure the health and safety of their employees or others who may be affected by their undertaking, this includes the risk of legionella. Legionnaires Disease is a form of pneumonia, which can be fatal and the main route of infection is through inhalation, by inhaling airborne water droplets that contain Legionella. This also applies if you are a private Landlord and have rental properties which are occupied.
This includes legionella awareness, taking suitable precautions to prevent, manage and control the risk of exposure to legionella. You can do this by undertaking the following: legionella awareness training, a risk assessment, actioning all identified risks within the initial report with remedial works, sampling the water quality to confirm bacterial presence with water testing, and carrying out ongoing record keeping also known as monitoring.
When do I need a chlorination?
Where necessary, hot and cold water services should be cleaned, flushed and disinfected in the following instances, as specified in BS 8558:2011:
- New water system installations or refurbishment of hot and cold water systems
- Installation of new components
- Systems that have been out of use for long periods of time
- Evidence of contamination or stagnation in tanks
- Substantial alterations to the systems
- Following sample results indicating contamination
- During or following an outbreak of legionella
- Where indicated by the risk assessment
Conditions and contributing factors to its growth include:
- Temperatures between 20-45°C
- Available nutrients (including sediment, biofilm, algae, scale, rust, material, etc.)
- Presence of biofilm on surfaces of water
- Poor or inadequate management including training and awareness
Water Systems
Regular water sampling is the most effective way to determine water quality and test for the presence of legionella bacteria in your water system. Without testing the water, you are unable to identify water quality and therefore you are unable to determine whether your water management and legionella control is sufficient. With periodic legionella testing, you are able to demonstrate that your water management and legionella control procedures are suitable and the water in your water system is fit for purpose.
All our water samples are tested in UKAS accredited laboratories as standard and we are able to carry out tests on a wide range of microbiological samples and chemical testing services. Below are just some of the water systems that we can test for Legionella:
- Drinking water (including water dispensers and coffee machines)
- Hot and cold water systems
- Coldwater storage tanks
- Hot water cylinders
Water heaters - Dental units
- Swimming pools
- Cooling towers
- Eye showers
- Eyewash units
- Water fountains
- Vending machines
- Closed water systems
- Spa baths
When to test?
- If water is stored or re-circulated as part of your system.
- If there are deposits (eg rust, sludge, scale, organic matter) present which could encourage bacteria growth.
- If water droplets are produced on site (via wash / spray / showers / cooling towers etc).
- If water temperature is between 20-45°C in all or part of your system.
- If you pre-treat water drawn from bore-holes or if there are potential sources of contaminated water on-site.
- If primary or secondary disinfection is required to protect water safety and improve water quality for potable and/or process water.
Water hygiene requires:
- Risk assessments to evaluate whether suitable control measures are in place.
- Microbiological analysis of water and UKAS-approved water testing to monitor whether harmful organisms are present.
- Water management, water system cleaning and chlorination and control of legionella and microbiology of pipes and the water distribution system.
How Pulse Water can help you
We provide a full range of water hygiene services to many companies across many sectors, which enables them to maintain and adhere to compliance and the health of employees, visitors and the surrounding environment of the site.
Formal assessment of on-site assets, water storage systems, system hygiene, temperature checks, Legionella control measures, photographic register of assets, schematic to show the inter-relationship of equipment and risks, recommended actions, ACoP L8 risks and how to fully comply and remain safe.
Required if there are changes to the water system or if Legionella is detected.
Outsourced (human) and / or tech-enabled remote monitoring of temperatures and recommended risk control measures. This reduces labour time, travel time, carbon footprint and has significant cost savings.
Keeping cold water storage tanks, pipes, filters, shower heads, sentinels and spray sources scale and bacteria-free. Our teams perform cleans to ensure you comply with HSG274, ACoP L8 and COSHH regulations.
Includes Legionella testing, Total Viable Count (TVC) and potable water testing.
We inspect hot water plant and domestic hot water services to protect against sediment and bacteria growth, potential for contamination and Legionella risk.
We regularly inspect hot water plant and domestic hot water services to guard against sediment and bacteria growth, potential for contamination and Legionella risk.
TMV’s are utilised to control scalding risks to vulnerable people. HSG274(2) requires TMV’s to be serviced and tested to ensure they are clean and in good working order.
With routine monitoring of biocide levels and microbiological control.
Liquid and solid chemicals including oxidising and non-oxidising biocides and biofilm control measures.
Including modern catalytic technology which produces a dilute concentration on demand without hazardous chemical mixing or storage.
From traditional sodium hypochlorite, electrolysis of brine, ozonation and Ultraviolet Light (UV)