Community tanks

Depósitos comunitarios

Advice for good maintenance

Maintenance of community tanks

 

Drinking water tanks belonging to communities of owners, individual dwellings and businesses play an important role in the quality of the water that is supplied.

 

Their general features, design, construction and maintenance should be in line with the prescriptions in the applicable legislation (Spanish technical building code, municipal by-laws, etc.).

The user is responsible for their correct use and maintenance.

  • Advice for good maintenance

    • They must be located on the ground floor of the building, in places that are easy to access so they can be cleaned and disinfected. They should never be buried or form part of the structure of the building or situated on terraces where they are directly exposed to the sun. Their entire perimeter must be open for inspection.
    • They should be covered with a waterproof covering that fits perfectly (non-hermetically) and enables access to the interior. They must be fixed so that they cannot slide and there must be sufficient ventilation and aeration at the top.
    • They must be made of materials that have been approved by the Delegation of Industry for drinking water storage.
    • They must be in a room separated from any health hazard (bin rooms, sewer manholes, etc.).
    • They must have an overflow outlet so that any excess water can be removed. The overflow outlet must be visible and not directly connected to the sewer network.
    • Water must circulate continuously in the tanks. It must enter from the top and leave from the bottom and the inlet and outlet must be situated on opposite sides to favour the renewal of water.
    • The necessary mechanisms will be provided to ensure easy evacuation of the water from the tanks, to facilitate maintenance and cleaning, and there should be a drain in the lowest part that must never be connected directly to the sewer system. In addition, tanks will be constructed and connected so that the water is replenished through the tank's functioning, and standing water is avoided.
    • To prevent the proliferation of bacteria, tanks must be cleaned at least once a year. Aguas de Alicante recommends that neighbourhood associations have a maintenance contract with a specialised company.
    • When the tanks are cleaned, it is important to check that there are no cracks. If any are found, they should be sealed with sealing products that meet the current legislation.
    • In addition, appropriate measures should be taken to protect and label the tank as water storage for drinking water supply, so that the quality of the stored water is not contaminated or worsened.

For more information on this subject, you can consult current legislation.