Why cleaning inside treated water tanks matters
Over time, water storage reservoirs and clear wells accumulate iron and manganese biofilm staining and sludge, as well as other contaminants on tank floors and walls. Left untreated, this fouling, harbours and protects bacteria, reduces water quality stability and increases the chlorine demand needed to keep water safe as it flows through the distribution system. This can drive up ongoing treatment costs.
Traditional high-pressure washing removes deposits but not stubborn biofilm staining. It also has a cost: the high pressure risks damaging tank linings, coatings and structural surfaces. For established biofilm staining, safe chemical breakdown is significantly faster and much gentler on the asset than pressure washing.
Pantonite's chemical cleaning process works at low pressure, dissolving iron, manganese and biofilm contamination — as well as hydrocarbon contamination — without the structural risk that comes with high-pressure methods
One Day
to clean a 500,000 gallon tank with a 3 person team
Low-pressure
Safe chemical process not high-pressure washing
No scaffolding
40' reach in tanks with extending lance
How it works
1
Assessment
Your contractor assesses the tank size, fouling severity, and access requirements to determine the right lance, applicator, and treatment approach for your asset.
2
Treatment
Using an extendable lance if required and non-atomizing low-pressure applicator, Pantonite chemistry is applied in a wide spray pattern. This dissolves iron, manganese, and biofilm contamination across the full surface area without scaffolding or high-pressure equipment.
3
Verification
Post-cleaning inspections confirm fouling has been fully removed and the asset is returned to service with significantly reduced bacterial activity and chlorine demand going forward.
See it in action
In this video - the speed and effectiveness of the Pantonite tank cleaning capability is demonstrated.
It shows how stubborn Iron and Manganese staining in a treated water storage tank can't be easily removed with high-pressure spray or fire-hose but the low pressure Pantonite application removes it in seconds.
Why contractors and utilities choose Pantonite for tank cleaning
Asset safe cleaning
Low-pressure application avoids the structural damage risk of high-pressure washing
Fast turn around
A 500,000 gallon tank can be completed in one day by a 3 person crew.
Effective against biofouling
Dissolves iron, manganese and biofilm contamination, as well as hydrocarbons
Reduced chlorine demand
Effective biofilm removal lowers the chlorine required for water quality stability
Results you can see
Pantonite's chemical cleaning process restores tank surfaces without the structural risk of high-pressure washing — visible results, minimal asset impact.
Tank cleaning before and after Pantonite treatment in Brewster, MA.
See the evidence for yourself
In Fredonia, NY, our partner ATiS was helping the Utility reduce TTHM levels in their system. Part of that involved cleaning bio-foul staining from their storage tank. A dirty tank consumes residual chlorine at a higher rate, leading to more instability from secondary disinfection further into the distribution system.
A previous contractor spent four days trying to pressure wash this tank, without success. You can see how far they got at the end of the video on the left, below. ATiS used a low pressure Pantonite clean using a telescopic lance with a non-atomising applicator - as you can see in the middle and right hand video below.
The ATiS clean was successfully completed in under 6 hours and the tank was refilled 24 hours after being taken offline for the second clean attempt.
Before Pantonite Clean - note the pressure was marks at the end.
During Pantonite Clean.
First phase of Pantonite clean completed.