Water tank cleaning in Al Rawabi, Makkah

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 Rawabi

Tanks in the tall buildings here suffer rapid corrosion from very high water pressure that causes accelerated wear on piping and lining. Water arrives supersaturated with air from high pressure delivery, causing metals to oxidise quickly. The method is set out in full on the full Water tank cleaning page.

The first reason

Extreme pressure from ground level pumping

High rise blocks need powerful pumps to push water to upper floors, creating pressure in lower tanks of six to eight bar. This extreme pressure corrodes copper and steel pipes rapidly and causes slow leaks at every joint and fitting.

The second reason

Air entrained water and rapid oxidation

Vigorous pumping whips air into the water. Excess oxygen oxidises iron and copper at high speed, leaving a strong metallic taste and brown staining in the visible water stream.

The third reason

New tunnels and ground settlement

Tunnels cut through rock are recent and ground around them is still settling. Small seismic events and land movement cause cracks in underground water pipes. The tank itself may shift slightly with ground subsidence, cracking pipe connections and seals.

Landmarks of Al Rawabi

In Al Rawabi on the Ajyad to Kudai road and Rai Bakhsh, tanks in the high rise blocks sit deep below ground or in basement levels, accessed through service entrances close to the Kudai Ajyad tunnel.

Rai Bakhsh
Ajyad Kudai Road
Kudai Ajyad Tunnel
Al Rawabi Garden
Jabal Khandamah

Before treatment

The condition of the tank decides the method

High rise residential blocks for Umrah visitors were built where bare hillside once stood, with tunnels cut through rock and Al Rawabi Garden and Jabal Khandamah viewpoint set above the built area.

Fine brown sediment beneath shallow water

The layer on the floor

The settled layer mixes metallic oxides, iron and some sand, coloured brown to grey from rapid oxidation caused by high pressure and air entrainment.

Light and algae

Algae is sparse because high water velocity and continuous pressure pulses prevent stagnation, and rapid metal oxidation inhibits biological growth.

A damp concrete wall carrying a dark deposit

The deposit on the wall

Wall deposits are blue green from copper oxide or rust brown from iron oxide, firmly bonded to concrete and difficult to remove without abrading the surface.

A concrete surface with a fine hairline crack

The lining and hairline cracks

Concrete lining is usually sound but extreme pressure causes internal surface wear and fine cracks form over time at stress points under the repeated load.

The lid of a water tank on a building roof

The lid and the access hatch

The lid and connection pipes leak from high internal pressure, and the maintenance hatch is sometimes difficult to open because of pressure differential.

A plastic pipe leaving the exterior wall of a building

The vent and the overflow pipe

Vent openings continuously release air bubbles from the vigorous pump action and may be blocked with sand and metallic particles.

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.

What is different about Al Misfalah Sub-Municipality

Al Misfalah sub municipality runs downhill from the south of the Grand Mosque through Al Misfalah, Kudai and Al Rawabi to Al Taqwa, Al Hindawiyah, Al Khalidiyah and Al Rusayfah at the third ring road. The northern end is old apartment blocks and pilgrim hotels with restaurants along Ibrahim Al Khalil Street and the huge coach parks at Kudai. The south and west are dense popular districts with countless small shops and unplanned hillside housing, some of it already cleared for redevelopment, giving way to orderly land grant schemes in Al Rusayfah beside the railway station.

Questions about this district

Why is the water tasting strongly metallic in the tall buildings?

High pressure pumping oxidises copper and iron at speed. Cleaning helps but you may need zinc and copper filters on every hot tap to remove taste.

Is water in the top floor better or worse than the ground floor?

The ground floor tank bears all the pressure and suffers most corrosion and leaks. Upper floors may have clearer water but sometimes cloudy from air trapped in pipes.

How often must tanks in tall buildings like ours be cleaned?

Every three months at minimum because extreme pressure causes rapid corrosion and metallic sediment accumulates much faster than in low rise districts.

Do the new tunnels affect our tank?

Yes. Ground settlement and movement near tunnels cause cracks in supply pipes. Regular checks for leaks in the basement and under the building are necessary.

Why is the hot water cloudier than cold water?

Heat accelerates copper oxidation, and blue green staining appears in hot pipes. The water heater itself may need separate cleaning from the tank.

Should we replace the pipes instead of repeated cleaning?

In a high rise, old pipework may be the weak point. Pipe replacement gives better long term results than repeated tank cleaning.

How much does water tank cleaning in Al Rawabi 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 Rawabi.