A technician washing the inside wall of a water tank with a pressure hose

Water tank cleaning in Al Balad Jeddah

Al Balad is the historic commercial heart of Jeddah, a UNESCO World Heritage site with coral limestone tower houses and wooden rawashin latticework. Narrow lanes and closely packed buildings are the norm. Tanks may sit on tight roofs or in damp cellars. Water may come from tankers rather than main network. Sediment here mixes the dust of the old city with corrosion from very ancient pipework.

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Potable-rated materials

Linings and disinfectants cleared for drinking water tanks, not general-purpose products.
You get the downtime first

How many hours the tank is out of service, told before we start rather than after we finish.
A first-draw flush

We run the first draw off after refilling, and the tank is not handed back until the water runs clear.
Ground and roof tanks

Villas, apartment blocks and premises that need a written record of each visit.

Why the job is different in Al Balad

Tanks here sit in difficult access locations and may be on cramped roofs or in narrow damp cellars. Water may come from tankers or from weak network lines. Sediment may originate from extremely old piping. The method is set out in full on what Water tank cleaning involves.

The first reason

Historic buildings house tanks in cramped, difficult locations

The timber latticed heritage houses of Al Balad may not accommodate modern tanks. A tank may sit on a tight rooftop or in a damp cellar. Access is hard and cleaning must respect the architectural heritage.

The second reason

Narrow lanes and busy souqs create water pressure swings

Popular souqs like Souq Al Alawi and Souq Al Badu around Bab Makkah draw heavy water use at peak trading hours. Pressure collapses at these times. Homes above the shops may have no pressure at all.

The third reason

Very old piping under narrow streets is slow to replace

Al Balad pipes may date to the first decades of Jeddah's water network. They may be partly blocked or actively leaking. Replacement means digging under narrow heritage streets, which is costly and difficult.

Al Balad on the map

Al Balad sits about 1 km from Al Sahifah and about 1 km from Al Ammariyah.

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Before treatment

The condition of the tank decides the method

The historic commercial centre of Jeddah with its fine ancient stone and timber architecture set on very narrow lanes, surrounded by longstanding popular souqs and registered heritage buildings.

Fine brown sediment beneath shallow water

The layer on the floor

Sediment here may come from very old piping and can be white from lime or red from rust. Busy souqs may lift deposits fast.

Light and algae

Algae can grow in exposed tanks or in narrow pipe runs. The high dampness around old rooftops may accelerate growth.

A damp concrete wall carrying a dark deposit

The deposit on the wall

Wall deposits can be very thick due to very old pipes and stagnant water periods. Washing may need many hours.

A concrete surface with a fine hairline crack

The lining and hairline cracks

Cracks may appear in ancient stone tanks. Humidity and temperature swings may cause slow expansion and contraction.

The lid of a water tank on a building roof

The lid and the access hatch

The lid may be missing or loose on some heritage houses. The maintenance hatch may be blocked.

A plastic pipe leaving the exterior wall of a building

The vent and the overflow pipe

The vent hole can admit dust from the busy souqs below, and the overflow may carry street water during heavy rain.

How we work

1
Inspect before the drain

Tank type and material, the condition of the lining, the depth of the sediment, the lid and the vent, and where the drained water will go. We agree the window without supply before anything is opened.
2
Drain, then lift the sludge

The water leaves through the outlet, then the layer beneath it is taken out by hand and by suction. That layer is the reason for the visit, not the water that ran out ahead of it.
3
High pressure wash

Walls, floor and the joint where they meet, with a brush wherever the film resists, then the wash water is taken out completely so nothing we lifted settles again.
4
Disinfect and put back in service

Disinfectant over every internal surface, left for its contact time and then rinsed out, followed by the refill, a first draw off at the taps, and a report on what was inside the tank.

What water tank cleaning includes

An inspection before the valve

Tank type, lining condition, depth of sediment, lid and vent, recorded before any water leaves.
Full drain and sediment removal

The water through the outlet, and the layer below it by hand and by suction until the floor itself is showing.
Pressure washing walls and floor

High pressure across the surfaces and corners, and a brush on anything water alone will not lift.
Disinfection after the wash

A disinfectant intended for drinking water tanks, named to you before it is used, left for its contact time and then rinsed out.
Refill and the first draw off

We refill, run the taps so the new water moves through the pipework, and tell you when it is ready to use.
A report and the next date

What was inside the tank, anything on the lid or the lining that needs repair, and a sensible date for the next clean.

Landmarks of Al Balad

Al Balad holds Nassif House and Al Shafi'i Mosque and is ringed by Souq Al Alawi and Souq Al Badu around Bab Makkah and Bab Sharif. Tanks on rooftops and in cellars between these heritage landmarks are reached carefully via the narrow lanes.

Nassif House
Al Shafi'i Mosque
Souq Al Alawi
Souq Al Badu
Bab Makkah
Bab Sharif

Questions about this district

Our tank sits on a tight roof between wooden rawashin. How do we clean it?

Tanks on cramped heritage rooftops need special care. We may need to temporarily disassemble parts of the latticework or use lightweight equipment. The architectural heritage must be preserved.

The shop tap runs clear but the flat above has cloudy water. Why?

The shop may draw from the upper tank section and the flat from the lower. Shared piping may run at different levels. Full cleaning and engineering inspection are necessary.

Does Al Balad need more frequent cleaning than modern districts?

Yes, very old pipes, unstable pressure and dense souqs all cause faster sediment accumulation.

Our water comes from tankers not the mains. Does this change cleaning?

Yes, tanker water carries different sediment than mains supply. Deposits may form faster. More frequent cleaning may become necessary.

When can we use the water again after the shop tank has been cleaned?

The shop needs water soon since it stays open. We can refill the tank quickly after cleaning and disinfecting. The shop may close for just a few hours.

The old house is very damp and the tap water smells odd. Why?

Dampness may enter from cellars around the tank. Old water sitting in very ancient pipes can carry smell. Deep cleaning and tank aeration are necessary.

How much does water tank cleaning in Al Balad cost?

It is set after the inspection, because the price follows the type of infestation, the size of the space, how far it has spread and the number of visits it needs. Send a photo and a description on WhatsApp and we will give you an estimate before we reach Al Balad.