Derek Neary
Northern News Services
Fort Simpson (May 04/01) - Environmental Health Officer Craig Nowakowski suggests that cleaning your water storage tank should be part of your spring ritual.
If your water comes out of the tap looking a little cloudy, the sediment at the bottom of a dirty water storage tank could be the cause, Nowakowski said.
Cleaning and disinfecting the water tank annually will make the water taste better and will remove any build-ups of sediment, algae and microbial growth.
"A lot of people assume that the water they're getting from the truck or the pipes is contaminated, but it's perfectly safe. It's just sometimes there's stuff growing in your tank."
It's generally rare that the micro-organisms in a tank will make a person sick, but it's a possibility, he noted.
Cleaning water storage tanks is a home-owner's expense.
Home-owners can tackle the job themselves, Nowakowski suggested.
"If you have access to your tank you can take some bleach and water and use a mop to scrub it out, then rinse it with clean water and your done," he said.
It may not be possible to scrub tanks without access holes, but they can still be drained and cleansed with a combination of bleach and water, then rinsed thoroughly.
The Environmental Health office in Yellowknife can be contacted for exact instructions for cleaning water storage tanks.
