How Often Should You Clean Your Water Tank? A Complete Guide

Most households and offices only think about their water tank when something goes visibly wrong — discoloured water, a strange smell, or a sudden spike in stomach bugs at home. By then, the tank has usually needed cleaning for a while. Here's a straightforward guide to how often it actually needs doing, and what a proper cleaning process involves.

Why tank cleaning matters more than people realise

Every overhead or underground tank collects mud, silt, algae, and bacteria over time — even when the water going in looks perfectly clean. This sediment settles at the bottom and along the walls, and it's exactly the kind of buildup that causes waterborne diseases like cholera, typhoid, and diarrhoea. A tank that looks fine from the outside can still be doing this quietly for months.

How often should you clean it?

As a general rule, residential tanks should be cleaned every six months, and commercial or high-usage tanks (offices, hostels, apartment complexes) more frequently — every three to four months. Tanks in areas with harder or more mineral-heavy water, or tanks that sit in direct sunlight, tend to build up sediment and algae faster and may need attention sooner.

What non-invasive cleaning actually involves

Traditional tank cleaning usually means emptying the tank and sending someone inside to scrub it by hand — wasteful and not always thorough. NCIWC (Non-Invasive Cleaning of Water Tanks) works differently:

• Cleaned entirely from outside the tank using a suction-based method — no cutting open the tank and no one needs to enter it
• Removes the mud, silt, algae, and bacteria that build up at the bottom and along the walls
• Saves up to 80% of the water already sitting in your tank, instead of draining it completely
• Cleans up to 20,000 litres per hour, suitable for both underground and overhead tanks
• Fully automated and chemical-free, carried out by trained professionals

Signs your tank needs cleaning now

You don't always need to wait for the six-month mark. Get it checked sooner if you notice:

• Water that looks slightly cloudy, yellow, or has visible particles
• Any unusual smell or taste from tap water
• A noticeable film or sediment when the tank is opened
• More frequent stomach upsets among people using the same water supply

Book a professional clean

A clean tank is one of those things that's easy to ignore until it becomes a health issue. If it's been more than six months since your last clean — or you're not sure when it was last done — it's worth getting checked. Get in touch and we'll schedule a free site visit.