Many people don’t know or realise that they should clean their water tanks, regularly. Regular cleaning means cleaner tank water, which, if you are drinking the water, is important for good health. Even if you only use your water outside – for lawns and gardens or washing the car, you still need to clean your tank on a regular basis.

Lots of people just assume that their tank always has clean water, but, this isn’t always the case. If you are catching water from the roof of your house, then leaves, dirt and other debris could be contaminating your water. If you take the time to clean your water tank – just once a year, you’ll extend the life of your tank, AND, you’ll ensure your tank and water are always clean and hygienic.

The best time to clean your tank is at the end of summer, as there is usually very little water left inside. The first step – if you have an electric pump, is to turn the water off. Some pumps are hard-wired which means you’ll have to turn the power off at the meter box. It’s important to remove the power plug from the socket as well – this way you really know the power is off.

Next you need to attach your water hose to the draining valve and feed the hose into the garden or elsewhere – this is just so none of the water *goes to waste*. Drained water can be stored in buckets and can be used for washing the car or watering the garden. If your tank has one, the valve that regulates cold water needs to be turned off at the top of the tank, while hot water valves should be switched on. Now it’s time to allow the tank to drain out. You should empty the tank as much as possible – until there is no more water flowing out the hose. This could take some time, depending on the size of your tank.

Using your garden hose run some fresh water through the tank inlet to flush out any remaining dirty water. Keep doing this until the water coming from the outlet runs clear.

• TIP – if you can, high pressure water is best as it can help remove any debris from the side of the tank.

If you have a leaf guard and/or a first flush diverter installed, you should clean it to remove any leaves or other debris. If your tank has a cartridge filter installed, try and remember when was the last time you changed the cartridge? Cartridge filters should usually be changed every 6 to 18 months depending on how much you use it. Once this is done – you have a clean tank!

Of course, you don’t have to clean the tank yourself, you can hire professionals to clean the tank for you. This is perfect if your tank is really quite dirty, or is large, or it’s just a job you don’t feel capable of doing.

Sadly, a lot of human diseases are caused by contaminated water, it is for this reason that it’s important for those who use their tanks for drinking water know how to keep them properly clean. Water contamination can be avoided, so it’s best to clean, or have your tank cleaned once a year. This is the best way to ensure that any post-tank filters are not being over-burdened.

To ensure you have a supply of clean drinking water all year round it’s important to also properly maintain your roof and guttering and any pre and post – tank filtration systems.

Many household install in ground water tanks  to provide safe water for the garden, cleaning the car etc, but occasionally it is used for cooking and drinking also. This is why tanks need to be regularly serviced and maintained. Unfortunately, many people don’t know how to clean their tank which means that over time sludge or sediment can build up – this can contaminate your water, and if you are drinking it – it can cause illness. Don’t let laziness or ignorance affect the health of your family.