Water is vital for our living. To check water scarcity many people, use plastic water storage tanks to harvest and store water. But the biggest problem is the algae growth. To check the algae growth, one needs to first understand the science behind how algae grow.
WHAT CAUSES ALGAE GROWTH?
Algae require the process of photosynthesis to grow. These unicellular or multicellular organisms contain chlorophyll. They absorb the light energy of all colours except green. The algae reflect the green light back thus acquiring the colour.
Similar to plants they undergo the endothermic chemical process of photosynthesis where the sunlight is used to turn carbon dioxide into sugars. Apart from carbon dioxide, water and light energy are needed to produce food and oxygen for survival. The following are the various conditions conducive to the growth of algae:
TIPS TO CHECK ALGAE GROWTH:
Light Block:
This is the first and the foremost thing that you need to do. Nowadays almost all plastic water tank manufacturers have come up with water tanks that have light block technology. These tanks have a special coating around their sidewalls to block the penetration of sunlight and thereby inhibit algae growth. If your tanks do not have this technology then simply paint the tank black or with some other colour that can keep them opaque. Else the least that you can do is to place them in some shady place.
Immediate check:
If your water tank has too much algae growth then bleach is the only saviour. ¼ teaspoon of bleach per gallon of water is the appropriate ratio. The hypochlorous acid present in bleach once added to water, starts killing the microbes destroying algae. But once you add bleach the water will no longer be consumable. You need to clean the tank properly and refill the water to consume.
Regular maintenance:
The best way to keep your drinking water tank free from algae build-up is by cleaning it with chlorine at least once a month or two. For every 10,00,000 parts of water, add 4 parts of chlorine. This small ratio can keep your water safe to drink.
Read more: EASY WAYS TO CLEAN YOUR TANKS
These simple solutions can help you better maintain your water tanks and mitigate the growth of algae to a great extent. Make sure that you follow each of the above to ensure the consumption of pure drinking water for you and your family daily.
