Maintenance operations on the reserve tanks installed in some of the houses in Jerusalem, should be carried out periodically (including tanks on the house roofs). This is to prevent contamination that can cause illnesses or bad tastes.

Apart from bad smells and mosquito larvae etc. that require immediate maintenance measures, maintenance and preventative operations should be carried out at least once a year:

1. Close the water entry point of the water tank or collecting pool.
2. Completely empty the tank or collecting pool.
3. After emptying, the tank or pool water exist-points should be close.
4. Clean the tank or pool with a stiff-bristled brush and focus especially on the corners and on areas where the surface is not smooth.
5. Rinse until all dirt residues are washed out of the tank or pool.
6. Disinfecting: disinfecting should be carried out with great caution, and after ensuring that the treated area is well-ventilated.

Disinfecting operation includes the following steps:

1. Preparation of the disinfection liquid: add half a cup of plain (without added perfume) “Ekonomika” bleach for household use, to a bucket of water.
2. Spread the disinfectant solutionon all walls of the tank or pool.
3. Wait 1-2 hours.
4. Rinse away the disinfecting solution, and make sure that the rinsing water flows out of the tank or pool and not to the water pipeline connected to the house pipeline.
5. Leave the tank open for a number of hours, until the “Ekonomika” smell has dispersed, and the tank is completely dry.
6. Close the tank, fill it with water and open the water taps leading out to the household pipeline.

Safeguarding the tank to ensure the water’s quality

1. Lock the access to the building’s roof or to any area in which a tank has been installed so that access is impossible for any unauthorized person.
2. Secure the water tank’s cover and access to it.
3. Mark the date of the last treatment clearly and prominently.

On a larger scale, Gihon has a regular process of emptying municipal water pools, cleaning and refilling.

Photographing the pool from the height:

Photographing the interior of the pool after emptying of water:

Photographing the interior of the pool after being filled with water: