Your drinking water supply can only be as fresh as the water tank and harvesting systems it comes into contact with, and for this reason, many people are eager to know the proper process for water tank cleaning.
Typically, unless the water in the tank has come in contact with something harmful during the harvesting process, or has been effected by bushfire, water tanks do not need regular cleaning.
Advice here may be different for a concrete tank or poly tank. If this is the case contact the manufacturer.
For the external walls of your water tank, we recommend periodically washing the outside of the tank with a soft brush and clean water, from a garden hose linked to a fresh water tank. Cleaning the tank periodically will help remove any surface contaminants or harmful bacteria that may lead to surface corrosion.
At Pioneer, our strong advice is to avoid the need to enter your tank, to eliminate the risks to your personal safety and that of the structural integrity of the internal water tank liner, as damaging this would compromise the water holding abilities of your water tank.
If you do need to enter or clean your water tank from the inside, Pioneer recommends contacting your local dealer – who would have helped with the installation of your water tank – for advice on engaging an experienced water tank cleaner.
Before you enter the tank for any reason, please contact Pioneer Water Tanks or your local Pioneer Dealer for further guidance.
If you do require water tank cleaning or desludging, there are a number of professionals who offer these services, and you should contact your local Pioneer Dealer to assist you with the cleaning, or to connect you to an expert.
You can find your local dealer’s contact information on in our distributors section here.
Since 1988, Pioneer Water Tanks has supplied Australians with water tanks for domestic, farming, fire fighting and industrial applications.
There is no general consensus on how often – if at all – a rainwater tank should be cleaned. The Australian Government recommends inspecting the tank every two to three years to check for any accumulated sediment or sludge on the tank floor.
While some water tank cleaning companies may recommend cleaning your tank every six months, this may be due to the conflict of interest of it being their source of income.
Many water tank cleaning companies also require the total emptying of the tank, causing the loss of much precious stored water. Cleaning water tanks can be costly and inconvenient, and most of the time avoided.
Pioneer Water Tanks believes that you should not need to clean your water tank unless it has been inspected to have accumulated sludge or sediment.
A quarterly visual inspection of the tank would be recommended, either by the owner or their nominated contractor or site personnel.
This can be done by viewing the inside of your tank through the roof hatch and using a flashlight or torch to see if the inside of the liner or water tank requires cleaning.
It is also important to monitor the appearance and smell of the water within your tank when using it.
There are a number of things you can do to help keep the water contained in your rainwater tank clean without entering your tank or interfering with the water or liner held within it.
Our industry-leading water tank liner possesses antimicrobial technology that keeps your water fresher for longer by actively removing microbes, harmful bacteria and mildew from the liner and water, and preventing the growth of organic matter such as algae.
Use a long handled or extendable broom to sweep any leaves, dirt or debris from the tank roof, from ground level or from a ladder. Walking on the tank roof is not recommended.
Periodically rinse off the tank roof with a hose during prolonged dry periods.
Periodically clean all gutters leading to the tank. Installing a gutter guard can help prevent any organic matter such as leaf litter entering the tank.
Ensure gutters are clearing of water successfully and are not home to any insect life that may contaminate your potable water supply.
Remove the downpipe and filter basket cover, and then lift out the filter basket or strainer to clean out any debris.
Conduct this task before the first rain, and after any subsequent significant rainfall. If you find your filter basket is damaged, replace it as soon as possible.
After any dry spell of more than a month, the first flush diverter should be opened or emptied (depending on the style of first flush diverter you have), in order to clear out any collected debris.
Remove any overhanging branches of trees, shrubs or potential perches for birds from anywhere that there water may be collected from.
Fitting the water tank with a seal, to prevent any mosquitoes, small insects or organic matter from entering the water tank.
Pioneer Water Tanks offers the SuperSeal as an option on all of our water tanks to help keep your water fresh.
Ensure that you are not collecting rainwater from a roof or gutter that is:
Do not collect rainwater from a part of the roof with:
If you are still concerned about the quality of your rainwater system, you can fit a water filtration device to any taps where the water would be used for drinking.
A feat of engineering excellence, the Pioneer V-LOCK® wall profile is designed to stand the test of time and provides superior internal support for the tank liner.
The AQUALINER Fresh® antimicrobial tank liner is designed keep your water fresher, cleaner and healthier for longer.
In order to check if water tank cleaning is required, some people may look into having their water tested in order to check the remaining water is clean and fresh.
However, unless a smell or colour has been detected in the water, testing of water in your domestic water tank is not normal practice, and would not be expected in most circumstances.
If you do want to have the water in your rainwater tank tested to determine whether water tank cleaning would be required, this should be compared to the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.
Best practice would be to ensure the cleanliness of your water tank with the actions above; ensuring all rainwater harvesting facilities are cleaned regularly, that the water tank is kept clean, and the internals of the tank are inspected once every three months.
If you feel any further testing or cleaning is needed, contact your local Pioneer Water Tanks Dealer.
If you’re looking for water tank cleaning for commercial or industrial tanks, Pioneer Water Tanks offers a water tank inspections and water tank maintenance service.
We offer GoPro internal inspections, Remote Operated Vehicle unmanned internal tank inspections and video conference inspections, in order to ensure the best inspections for your water storage tank.
From here we can determine if any cleaning, repair or maintenance is required.
Whether your water tank is for your home farm or holiday property, it needs to be in keeping with your personal aesthetic, Pioneer Water Tanks has a range of colours and additional features to choose from.
The exterior panels and roof of the water tank should be regularly cleaned and maintained with a soft broom and a garden hose, keeping debris and contaminants off the surface of the tank can help prevent any corrosion and increase the tank’s service life.
Typically, unless the water in the tank has come in contact with something harmful during the harvesting process, or has been effected by bushfire, water tanks do not need regular cleaning.
Advice here may be different for a concrete tank or poly tank. If this is the case contact the manufacturer.
There is no set date on how often a water tank should be cleaned, as a well maintained water tank will not need internal cleaning.
The Australian Drinking Water Guidelines suggest that the floor of the liner should be inspected for sediment or sludge on the tank floor every three years. At Pioneer Water Tanks, we recommend doing a visual inspection of the tank quarterly, or once every three months, to ensure there is no dirty water.
Hiring a professional tank cleaner often results in the emptying of the tank, so to maintain your water level and ensure minimal loss to your potable water supply, prevention is better than the cure in this case.
Unless you have a desludging valve on the bottom of the tank, the only water tank cleaning Pioneer recommends doing at home is external water tank cleaning, as getting inside the tank poses a risk to both the person inside the tank, and to the tank liner.
If your water tank must be cleaned, get in touch with your local Pioneer Water Tanks Dealer, and they will be able to assist in maintaining your tank, or connecting you to a qualified water tank cleaner.
In the past, and in other tank systems, people have recommended using chemicals such as white vinegar, chlorine and baking soda or even harsher chemicals like kerosene or bleach (sodium hypochlorite) to clean the water in a rain water tank.
Due to the antimicrobial nature of the liner in Pioneer Water Tanks, it would not be advised to add any chemicals to your stored rainwater. In the worst case scenario, you would be better off emptying the tank, having it professionally cleaned, and refilled, so as to avoid damage to your water tank liner.
If the water in your tank is brown, this may be due to water from a recent rain having come in contact with a dirty or contaminated surface on its way into the tank. These contaminants usually rise to the top of, or sink to the bottom of your water tank, resulting in sludge and sediment.
If the tank hatch has not been correctly closed, a dead animal or insects may have entered the tank, contaminating the water supply.
If your tank water is brown, or is producing a smell, contact your Pioneer Dealer to assess the best plan of action.
People in rural Australia have been drinking water from rainwater tanks for decades, and it remains one of the most common sources of potable water. If you live in an urban or particularly polluted area however, it would be best to see local government guidelines in regards to the safety of drinking water.
So long as there is water entering and exiting the tank, and combined with the Pioneer Aqualiner Fresh® Antimicrobial Water Tank Liner, there is no expiry date on the water stored in your water tank.
As long as you are inspecting that water tank every three months, and keeping all gutters clear of contaminants, your water should remain safe to drink.
