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

Water tank cleaning in Shaib Amir Wa Shaib Ali Makkah

Shaib Amir Wa Shaib Ali are two of Makkah's oldest ravines, north east of the Grand Mosque, where stone houses cling to the slopes of Jabal Khandamah. Their tanks lie buried in decrepit and ancient foundations, carved into the mountain itself. Rainfall floods down the slopes directly, and the tank faces both flash flood pressure and high groundwater from below, and the page serves the map you see above.

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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 Shaib Amir Wa Shaib Ali

The tanks here were built long before modern building codes, the groundwater rises in the rainy season and structural cracks are numerous and serious. The method is set out in full on the full Water tank cleaning page.

The first reason

Floods sweep down the mountain directly

Jabal Khandamah is steep and the ravines sit at its base, so heavy rain floods soil, gravel and stones directly over the tank. Cleaning must remove mountain sand and small rocks from the floor before pressure washing can begin safely.

The second reason

Old stone foundations crumble from damp

Groundwater is high and foundation cracks are large and serious. The tank may be built from stone and very old mortar, and high pressure cleaning risks collapsing the internal walls entirely.

The third reason

Groundwater mixes with the drinking water

Groundwater level rises rapidly in the rainy season, and cracks allow contaminated water to enter. Disinfection must be very strong against bacteria from soil and bedrock.

Shaib Amir Wa Shaib Ali on the map

Shaib Amir Wa Shaib Ali sits about 0.5 km from Al Qararah Wa Al Naqa and about 1 km from Harat Al Bab Wa Al Shamiyah.

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Before treatment

The condition of the tank decides the method

The district sits on steep Khandamah slopes with ground that falls sharply away, flash floods pour directly from the mountain toward the mosque, and the drainage infrastructure is very old and cannot handle excess water.

Fine brown sediment beneath shallow water

The layer on the floor

Mountain sand and fine gravel accumulate at high speed on the floor, and heavy rain brings heavy loads that require careful and thorough removal.

Light and algae

Light is very limited and algae growth is weak, but deep-dwelling bacteria thrive in hard groundwater that seeps into the tank.

A damp concrete wall carrying a dark deposit

The deposit on the wall

Walls are always damp and carry mineral deposits from groundwater, and white and red layers mix together on the surfaces.

A concrete surface with a fine hairline crack

The lining and hairline cracks

Very old stone is highly porous throughout, hairline cracks are wide and old tank linings may already be loose and failing from constant moisture.

The lid of a water tank on a building roof

The lid and the access hatch

Covers are very old stone or metal and may be broken, and maintenance hatches are cramped and may be sealed shut by sediment build up.

A plastic pipe leaving the exterior wall of a building

The vent and the overflow pipe

Ventilation is very weak and openings may be clogged, and the overflow pipe may run open to the ground with no pipe protection or direction.

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 Ghazza Sub-Municipality

Al Ghazza sub municipality wraps around the north and west of the Grand Mosque, from Al Shamiyah, Al Qararah and Shaib Amir round to Jarwal and Al Taysir. Large tracts were cleared for the northern expansion and the Rua Al Haram scheme, leaving excavated ground and open construction sites beside ageing blocks that now serve as dense seasonal lodgings in Jarwal and Al Taysir. Old flood paths still fall from Jabal Qaiqaan and Jabal Khandamah towards the mosque, and markets and eateries crowd Al Masjid Al Haram Road and Umm Al Qura Road.

Questions about this district

Do floods from Jabal Khandamah enter the tank directly?

Yes, the mountain is steep and the ravines are deep. Floods sweep soil, gravel and small rocks directly into the tank during heavy rain, and cleaning must remove mountain sediments completely.

Why does the water turn red immediately after heavy rain?

Floods wash red soil down from the mountain, and deep groundwater carries iron oxides. The tank fills rapidly from both the flood and deep groundwater sources, and the colour change reflects contamination from two directions at once.

Is a tank in these old ravines safe to use?

Cleaning is essential before use. The tank likely has cracks and leaks, and groundwater may be entering from below. Complete inspection must come before cleaning work begins.

Does groundwater affect the tank all year or only in the rainy season?

Groundwater is always present but its level rises sharply in the rainy months. Cracks allow slow groundwater seepage even in dry periods, so contamination can occur year round.

Will tank cleaning solve the red water problem?

Cleaning removes current sediment but may not cure the root cause. If seepage continues from the mountain, fixing the foundation and sealing cracks may be needed to stop recurrence.

Should the tank be protected from floods after cleaning?

Yes, the tank may need a reinforced cover and protected vent openings. Drainage around the tank must be reshaped to direct floodwater away from the foundations.

How much does water tank cleaning in Shaib Amir Wa Shaib Ali 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 Shaib Amir Wa Shaib Ali.