4 February, 2010 - Many Thimphu residents, not to mention people in other parts of the country, drink water straight from the taps, oblivious to the contaminants in it.

The taps in most homes are sourced from huge tanks above their buildings, which over time gather mosses and other harmful chemicals at its base.

If left uncleaned, these sediments contaminate the water, which then flows into homes causing numerous waterborne diseases.

Sonam Dorji, who owns a mobile car cleaning business in the city, on seeing an announcement for a need of a regular water tank cleaner, jumped at the opportunity, seeing prospects of an extended business venture.

Sonam Dorji, along with his six workers, began their water tank cleaning business yesterday. They involve six mechanical steps in the process.

First they flush out the water from the tank, clean the tank lid and its surroundings of algae, dirt and mud. They then clean the inside.

A special high-pressure jet is used to remove the sludge and contaminated water formed inside the tank. Thick sludges bedded inside the tanks require a vacuum cleaner for removal, including an industrial pump, which completes the cleaning process by cleaning all the remaining dirt inside the tank.

The tank is sprayed with special anti bacterial agents to sterilise the tank and a UV radiator is used to kill suspended or floating bacteria remaining in the tank.

Sanam said water tanks required cleaning once in at least three months to ensure safety.

“Most building owners clean their tanks once a year or every two years,” he said. “This is unhealthy because, the longer one puts off cleaning the tank, the more contaminants it gathers.”

The director for public health department Dr Ugen Dophu said that contaminants like stool, tiny debris and harmful chemicals were present in water.

“Chemical contaminants present in a water tank effect the user depending on their dosage,” Dr Ugen Dophu said, adding that they could cause diarrhoea, dysentry, skin and eye infection, typhoid, fever and hepatitis A. “Small doses of the chemicals overtime can lead to other diseases and, in the long run, lead to cancer,” he said.

Dr Ugen Dophu said between 40 and 50 percent of the total patients visiting hospitals across the country suffered from diseases related to water contamination.

“It’s listed among the country’s top ten diseases,” he said.

By Sonam Lhamo

Source: http://www.kuenselonline.com