Clean tanks: quality water:

That is why our tank cleaning and disinfection service plays a key role in ensuring safe water, meeting current regulations and protecting people’s health.

A regulatory requirement, not an option

Spanish legislation is clear: as a general rule, all water storage tanks with a capacity of less than 10,000 cubic metres must be cleaned and disinfected every three years. This requirement is mainly established by two regulations: the Royal Decree governing the quality of water intended for human consumption and the Royal Decree establishing measures to prevent and control Legionnaires’ disease (RD 3/2023 and RD 487/2022). In certain cases, this interval may be shortened when required by the health authorities.

As Jorge Andreu Giménez, the person responsible for the service at GOservicios, explains: “We do not operate the valves or interfere with the installation’s own components, because the customer knows their system best. Our work begins once the tank has been emptied, and that is where we bring our technical expertise.”

How we work: from cleaning to sanitary assurance

Our process is divided into two main stages. The first is physical cleaning: we remove sludge, sediment, limescale and any other build-up from inside the tank, using water tankers equipped with high-pressure systems and, when necessary, manual tools for more complex situations, such as tanks that have not been cleaned for decades.

The second stage, just as important, is disinfection. We apply hypochlorite to the tank walls and allow it to work for two hours at the appropriate concentration. This is essential to ensure that, when the tank is refilled, the water is not contaminated. As Jorge explains, “there is a level of chlorine that the human body can safely tolerate. Drinking water must always remain within that safe range.”

Once disinfection is complete, the work does not end there. Between fifteen days and one month later, we take a water sample to analyse six parameters: temperature, chlorine, Legionella, Clostridium, pH and turbidity. This allows us to verify that the installation is free from bacteria and meets the required sanitary conditions.

Each intervention is carried out by a minimum team of three people, always including a designated preventive safety professional, as these tasks involve confined spaces and, in many cases, working at height. All personnel have specific training and safety equipment, including gas detectors and rescue systems.

An impact that goes beyond the tank

This service is not simply a one-off task. It is part of a preventive approach that helps protect public health, particularly against risks such as Legionnaires’ disease, caused by bacteria that are mainly transmitted through the inhalation of contaminated aerosols — for example, while showering — rather than through direct ingestion.

In many cases, this work is also connected to another of our services: continuous tank chlorination. Here, we combine sensors that measure chlorine levels with automatic dosing pumps, monitored in real time through our Nexus platform. This combination of scheduled maintenance and continuous monitoring gives our customers a more complete view of their water quality — rather than just a snapshot taken every three years.

Looking ahead

At GOservicios, we continue to invest in training, technology and processes that make every intervention a guarantee of safety and regulatory compliance. Our commitment is clear: to support organisations, communities and institutions in ensuring that the water they use every day consistently meets the highest standards, without unnecessary complications or unexpected issues.

If your organisation, municipality or company needs to schedule the cleaning and disinfection of its water tanks, or would like to find out more about our continuous chlorination service, the GOservicios team is ready to help. Get in touch with us and let’s design a maintenance plan tailored to your installation.