Inspection Techniques for Water Storage Tanks: A Guide

Water tank inspection services ensure that your potable water storage tanks are maintained in a clean and safe condition, minimizing risks to your employees, processes, and equipment.

In industries where potable water storage tanks are essential for drinking, washing, food preparation, and industrial purposes, water tank inspection services play a vital role.

These storage tanks retain and store purified water generated by filtration systems until it is required. They come in various designs, sizes, and performance capacities, tailored to meet the needs of different applications. Water storage tanks play a crucial role in numerous processes across industrial, commercial, and municipal sectors, underscoring the importance of proper selection, installation, and maintenance.

Why is Water Storage Tank Maintenance Important?

A water storage tank represents a valuable asset for facilities that choose to invest in one, and akin to other critical equipment, it necessitates regular maintenance. Proper maintenance offers several advantages, including:

  • Longer service life: Regularly scheduled tank inspection and maintenance operations enable industry professionals to detect existing damage and potential sources of damage before they escalate into major issues. This proactive approach minimizes the negative impact on the tank’s integrity, thus extending its service life.
  • Enhanced equipment performance: Identifying and resolving problems through regular maintenance activities contribute to improved performance of the system as a whole.
  • Improved water quality: Addressing issues in the water storage tank and its associated system mitigates the risk of contamination and other adverse effects that may compromise the quality of water stored in potable water tanks.
  • Reduced repair and replacement costs: Early detection of issues such as corrosion or coating delamination helps prevent them from escalating into major problems. As a result, equipment damage is minimized, leading to fewer costly repairs and replacements.

Water Storage Tank Inspection Techniques

The initial step in any maintenance procedure involves inspecting the equipment’s condition. Water storage tank inspections can be categorized as wet or dry.

Dry inspections, as the name suggests, necessitate draining the tank of water before they can be conducted by a licensed specialist.

Wet inspections, on the other hand, are carried out without draining the tank. Depending on the tank’s design, either a disinfected diver or a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) is utilized to enter the structure and identify potential issues. If significant problems are detected, such as peeling paint or thinning steel, the tank must be taken out of service for repairs.

Regardless of the method used, inspections typically commence at the tank’s bottom and progress upwards to examine the legs, rods, struts, and ladder. Key tank conditions to assess include the steel thickness, paint thickness, and coating adhesion levels.

Maintenance Requirements for Water Storage Tanks

To uphold structural and sanitary integrity, the American Water Works Association (AWWA) advocates for regular inspection and maintenance of tanks. While the frequency of inspections varies based on factors like location, operating conditions, and equipment type, the organization, alongside other industrial entities and agencies, offers the following guidelines:

Inspections should occur every one, three, or five years, depending on the tank’s application. These inspections entail evaluating every system component, including the paint. Given that paint serves as protection for steel tank components against corrosion, any flaws in the painted surface can compromise both the steel’s integrity and the water quality.

If the system exhibits any of the following symptoms, cleaning should be performed:

  • Repairs or upgrades the water tank
  • Sedimentation or biological development (e.g., coliform bacteria)
  • Changes in water quality that are noticeable

Storage tanks are categorized as “confined spaces” by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Consequently, only qualified individuals equipped with suitable protective gear and extraction equipment should enter these structures during inspection and maintenance operations.

We offer tried and tested services in Crockett, Grapeland, Kennard, Latexo, Lovelady, Ratcliff, HOUSTON, TEXAS. 

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