SEWA inspects water quality in residential & commercial buildings

Testing tanks’ water in 642 residential and commercial building, and 258 mosques

These efforts included inspection and testing of 642 tanks in residential and commercial areas and 258 samples from mosque ablution facilities. The effort was undertaken in 2024 to ensure compliance with specifications and maintain the health and safety of customers.

Engineer Abdulrahman Bukhalaf, Director of the Water Production and Desalination Plants Department, emphasised the need to adhere to several important controls to maintain water quality in tanks including ensuring that the area surrounding the tank is clean; the tank cover is tightly sealed to prevent the entry of insects or dust that could affect water quality; ensuring that tank walls are free of cracks; and regular cleaning by certified tank cleaning companies.

Ensuring residents’ health

Bukhalaf explained that the Authority's technical teams conduct periodic inspections to ensure the cleanliness and safety of water tanks and pipes in buildings. In the event of bacterial contamination, the building owner and consumers are asked not to use the water to preserve public health. They are also asked to follow up on the cleaning of the tanks and internal connections of the building on the same day by a company accredited for tank cleaning. Samples are taken after cleaning, and water is not used until the test results are reported and the water is back to normal and free of bacterial contamination.

Bukhalaf pointed out the importance of selecting companies that undertake the task of maintaining, cleaning, and sterilising tanks from among those accredited by SEWA, which are periodically evaluated, so that they have a team with the experience and skill to maintain, clean, and sterilise them.

Bukhalaf stressed the need for regular maintenance of tanks and follow-up to ensure they are clean and tightly sealed.