Potable water storage tanks used and maintained by municipalities and other entities to store public drinking water must undergo regular maintenance and inspections by water tank inspection services to ensure water quality and prevent storage tank failures.
Failure to keep up with these inspections can be a costly mistake that, at the very least, could result in unnoticed corrosion and a need for extensive repairs later on.
Worse, skipped inspections by approved tank engineering services could result in sickness among the public that uses that water source when problems allowing water contamination are not detected and repaired.
General Water Tank Inspection Guidelines
Although each state has its own Administrative Code pertaining to water storage for public water supply and how often water tank inspectors should be brought in to assess the tanks, there are some general guidelines.
Therefore, every company or service maintaining water storage tanks should refer to their individual state’s regulations and abide strictly by those, while also observing the recommendations made by qualified water tank engineering companies according to the tank size, type, location, and other factors.
Yearly Water Tank Inspections
Pressurized and non-pressurized ground and elevated water storage tanks are recommended to be inspected on a yearly basis to check ventilation, control panels, and pressurization systems to determine that all instrumentation is working properly and tanks are venting adequately.
Visual inspections should also be done annually, and any obvious concerns addressed.
Inspect At Least Every 5 Years
Most states require interior inspections by a water tank inspection service a minimum of once every five years.
The interior of the tank should be viewed either remotely, by tank divers, or by draining the vessel out, to assess the interior condition and note any debris collecting in the tank and the water should be sampled for quality.
Although it can be more time-consuming to do so and requires taking a tank offline, draining tanks for close inspection and cleaning is always preferred and most effective.
Tanks that are drained can then be cleaned inside, any collected sediment can be removed, and if required, can receive new anti-corrosive coatings.
Depending on the specific installation and conditions and the local regulations, a water tank engineering company might recommend more or less frequent inspections.
Inspect Anywhere From 1 to 5 Years
Foregoing regular inspections by qualified water tank engineering and inspection services can result in tank damage, water-borne illness, and fines for non-compliance.
While one-year and five-year inspections tend to be most recommended, companies and public departments managing storage tanks for drinking water must confirm their state’s water tank inspection requirements and adhere to them for everyone’s safety.