Regular readers of this Blog may recall our article on Gegionnaire’s Disease, which appeared many moons ago. In the article below we are going to concentrate on a particular aspect of this issue and how to go about safeguarding your tenants' health.
Water Tank Covers
Cold water storage is a vital part of a house's plumbing system. Whilst the kitchen cold water tap (and normally any outside tap) is supplied by a direct feed from the water main, other taps, both upstairs and downstairs, are supplied through an indirect gravity feed from the cold water tank or cistern, located in the loft space. The cold water tank itself is supplied by a rising water main from the public water system. Water is held in the tank on a temporary basis until taps are turned on and toilets are flushed. The ball cock system in the tank controls the replacement volume of water from the rising main.
Typically households use bathroom cold taps for brushing teeth as well as for drinking water. These potable uses make it imperative that water fed through to those taps from the cold water tank is clean. But if the tank is uncovered or if the cover is ill-fitting, broken or made from an unsuitable material, the water from the tank may be anything but suitable for consumption!
Dangers of an uncovered tank
Your cold water tank needs to be covered for two reasons. The first is to prevent insects and vermin from entering the water system. Unwelcome visitors might include anything from mice and birds to wasps, spiders and numerous smaller insects. All can cause the water to become contaminated - especially if the creatures die and decompose in the tank!
The second reason your tank must be covered is to prevent too much light from falling onto the water. Stored water may become susceptible to algae growth and to the cultivation of other waterborne bacteria should the water remain stagnant for too long and be exposed to light. By covering the tank with a dense material the water is isolated from light sources, staving off any such issues.
Getting the right covering
Across the nation cold water tanks in lofts are covered by a variety of materials, from standard close-fitting covers that comply with the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999 to improvised covers made from wooden boards, mesh and even curtaining fabric! Some coverings are clearly unsuitable, while others are adequate but might benefit from being 'upgraded' to comply with government legislation.
The Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999 apply to all premises with cold water tanks / cisterns. It replaced the Water Bylaws in July 1999, and requires that properties connected to the public water supply have appropriate storage tanks installed and that they are maintained accordingly to prevent contamination. Included in the regulations are guidelines for tank coverings. These should be close-fitting to the tank - but not airtight - and should be of an opaque material that will not cause contamination in the tank when water condenses on its underside.
Coverings that comply with the regulations are available from good DIY stores and from plumbing centres. Some coverings are known as Bylaw 30 kits. This is in reference to the pre-1999 bylaws on safe cold water storage. Is it about time you checked the suitability of your cold water tank covering?
Revised version sent to Tribune 11-08-2008
Water Tank Covers - Safe Cold Water Storage
Cold water storage is a vital part of a house's plumbing system. Whilst the kitchen cold water tap (and normally any outside tap) is supplied by a direct feed from the water main, other taps, both upstairs and downstairs, are supplied through an indirect gravity feed from the cold water tank or cistern, located in the loft space. The cold water tank itself is supplied by a rising water main from the public water system. Water is held in the tank on a temporary basis until taps are turned on and toilets are flushed. The floating ball cock system in the tank controls the replacement volume of water from the rising main.
Typically households use bathroom cold taps for brushing teeth and bedroom sinks for washing the hands or for a cup of water. These potable (drinking-quality water) uses make it imperative that water fed through to those taps from the cold water tank is clean. But if the tank is uncovered or if the cover is ill-fitting, broken or made from an unsuitable material, the water from the tank may be anything but suitable for consumption!
Dangers of an uncovered tank
Your cold water tank needs to be covered for two reasons. The first is to prevent insects and vermin from entering the water system. Unwelcome visitors might include anything from mice and birds to wasps, spiders and numerous smaller insects. All can cause the water to become contaminated - especially if the creatures die and decompose in the tank! Recent cases of bird droppings causing water poisoning have been reported with potential very dangerous consequences.
The second reason your tank must be covered is to prevent too much light from falling onto the water. Stored water may become susceptible to algae (organisms) growth and to the cultivation of other waterborne bacteria should the water remain stagnant for too long and be exposed to light. By covering the tank with a dense material the water is isolated from light sources, staving off any such issues.
Getting the right covering
Across the nation cold water tanks in lofts are covered by a variety of materials, from standard close-fitting covers that comply with the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999 to improvised covers made from wooden boards, mesh and even curtaining fabric! Some coverings are clearly unsuitable, while others are adequate but might benefit from being 'upgraded' to comply with current government legislation, for example, ideally, the temperature is not to exceed 20° C.
The Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999 apply to all premises with cold water tanks / cisterns. It replaced the Water Bylaws in July 1999, and requires that properties connected to the public water supply have appropriate storage tanks installed – approved by the Water Regulations Advisory Scheme (WRAS), and that they are maintained accordingly to prevent contamination. Included in the regulations are guidelines for tank coverings. These should be close-fitting to the tank - but not airtight - and should prevent contamination in the tank.
Coverings that comply with the regulations are available from good DIY stores and from plumbing centres. Some coverings are known as Bylaw 30 kits. This is in reference to the pre-1999 bylaws on safe cold water storage. Is it about time you checked the suitability of your cold water tank covering?
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