Water tank sealing in Harat Al Sawalhah Jeddah
Harat Al Sawalhah is a traditional old quarter in Thuwal with houses on narrow streets lit and paved under a Saudi Aramco development programme. Tanks here are older than most in Thuwal, and densely packed old buildings mean difficult access to tanks and seepage from shared damp soil beneath the buildings.
-
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 Harat Al Sawalhah
Residents here are long-settled, with buildings erected decades ago and dug close together. Very old tanks sit in narrow courtyards, and the soil beneath them is shared and damp. The method is set out in full on our Water tank sealing service.
Old houses packed close together
Houses in Harat Al Sawalhah were built close to each other on narrow lanes. Tanks sit in narrow courtyards between buildings, and moisture travels from building to building through the soil.
Narrow streets limit access and repair
Saudi Aramco paving improved conditions but streets remain tight. Access to tanks in internal courtyards is difficult, and treatment needs careful planning.
Shared damp soil beneath buildings
Soil beneath the quarter is naturally damp because it lies inland from direct sea but close to Wadi Thuwal. Tanks seep from the base and sides together.
The character of Harat Al Sawalhah
Mixed district: shops at street level with homes above them
The quarter is traditional and old with houses packed close on narrow streets, and tanks sit in tight courtyards between buildings. Treatment needs special access planning and sealing from both inside and outside because damp soil presses from all directions.
What we read before any material is opened
A traditional old quarter in Thuwal with houses on narrow paved and lit streets developed by Saudi Aramco. The quarter is inland away from the corniche and harbour, enclosed between modern areas and main roads.
Cracking in the wall
Cracks in tank walls came from damp soil pressure from all sides, not the base alone.
The floor to wall joint
Joints between walls and floor and walls and roof are cracked from constant lateral pressure of damp soil.
The condition of the old lining
Pipe entry points were never sealed outside the tank, and groundwater enters around pipes from outside.
Sediment and scale
Moisture here comes from natural soil, not sea or rain. It is steady year-round.
The pipe entries
Tank base is always damp and collects sediment and clay from the soil, reducing capacity.
The hatch and the vent
Tank sterilisation after sealing is essential because bacteria and fungi thrive in high moisture and darkness.
How we work
-
1
Inspect with the tank empty
We drain it and read the surface dry: whether the water leaves through a crack, a joint or a pipe collar, and what the outer face of the wall and the ceiling below are telling us. A level test with the valves closed separates a leaking tank from leaking pipework.
-
2
Clean and prepare the substrate
Sediment out, a high pressure wash, the loose old lining and the weak surface layer of the concrete taken back, then dried. The material grips sound substrate and nothing else.
-
3
Make the cracks and joints good
Cracks are chased out and filled with a repair mortar, a cove is formed where the floor meets the wall, and every pipe collar is treated on its own.
-
4
Lining, fill test, sterilisation
Successive coats, each run across the one beneath it, on the face the water touches. Then a full cure, a fill with the level watched, and sterilisation with the first fill run to waste before the tank returns to use.
What water tank sealing includes
-
Finding where the water leaves
Carried out drained and dry: cracks, joints, pipe collars and the outer face of the wall.
-
Draining and sediment removal
The last of the water and the settled layer on the floor come out, because a lining does not stick over sediment.
-
Cracks and joints made good
The crack opened and filled, a cove formed at the floor to wall junction, and each pipe entry worked separately.
-
Lining coats on the water face
More than one coat, each crossing the one below, in material made for drinking water tanks rather than roof waterproofing.
-
Curing, fill test and sterilisation
The material is left to cure, the tank is filled and the level watched, then sterilised and the first fill run to waste. How long the cure takes follows the material and the weather, and we tell you before the date so you can plan around the supply.
-
A follow-up level check
We come back once it is in service to read the level and check the outer face, because any remaining loss shows up then rather than on the day of the work.
What is different about Thuwal Sub-Municipality
Thuwal sub municipality is a small fishing town on the Red Sea coast at the far northern edge of Jeddah governorate. Its old quarters are closely packed popular and mud built houses on narrow streets, with newer low rise concrete homes from the town's development programme beside them. Sea humidity stays high all year, the fishing harbour and the corniche form its seafront, water arrives by tanker so household tanks are everywhere, and the town sits on Wadi Thuwal, ringed by open ground and by the irrigated green campus of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology.
Questions about this district
Why do tanks in narrow courtyards seep from the sides?
Shared damp soil presses on tank walls. Cracks and joints on the sides provide water entry points.
Does difficult access to the tank mean different treatment?
Yes. We may use alternative methods or prepare the tank outside the courtyard before reinstalling it.
Does the tank leak from the base only or from the sides too?
Here it leaks from sides and base together because soil moisture comes from all directions.
How many times a year do tanks here need checking?
We recommend checking every 6 months at least because constant moisture may cause rapid breakdown.
Is internal sealing alone enough in this quarter?
No. Both internal and external sealing are needed. Damp soil presses on the tank from outside.
Do neighbouring buildings mean a shared moisture problem?
Yes. Moisture travels through soil. Tank treatment must account for moisture from adjacent buildings.
How much does water tank sealing in Harat Al Sawalhah 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 Harat Al Sawalhah.
Nearby districts we cover
Other services in Harat Al Sawalhah
Other services we provide to residents of Harat Al Sawalhah.
-
Water tanks
Water tank cleaning
-
Water tanks
Water tank sterilization
-
Water tanks
Tank leak repair
-
Residential
Cockroach control
Need water tank sealing in Harat Al Sawalhah? Tell us what you saw and we will tell you what it needs
We reach Harat Al Sawalhah at a time we agree, and you get the full cost before we start.