Industrial Tank Cleaning

15 April 2021

Sligo

Industrial tank cleaning job completed recently in Co. Sligo by McBreen Environmental.

This tank is over 30 years old and had never been desludged and cleaned before. The tank was 6 meters deep with all top level water and light waste pumped away before we began cleaning the remaining 1.25 meters of heavy waste at the base of the tank. The remaining waste consisted of heavy cake sludge, rag, silt & general foul waste.

Over the course of 2 days our experienced tank cleaning team made light work of removing almost 250 tonnes of waste from the base of this tank using our Hi-Tip Disab Suction Unit, Rolba Jet Vac, Mini Excavator and Confined Space Entry Operatives before returning for a third and final day to clean down the walls and base of the tank leaving it spotless and ready to be put back into action.

All waste removed from the tank was transported back to our licensed disposal facility, Brefni Organics, for treatment and screening before being transferred to our top of the range composting facility where we go above and beyond to provide an environmentally friendly & sustainable alternative to liquid waste disposal.

Challenges:

The primary challenge involved cleaning a large industrial tank that had not been serviced in over three decades. The build-up of heavy sludge and debris at the base of the tank created a demanding working environment that required specialised equipment and experienced confined space operatives.

With the tank reaching a depth of six metres and containing over a metre of compacted waste material, careful planning was required to ensure the waste could be removed safely, efficiently and in full compliance with health and safety regulations.

Outcome:

The tank was successfully desludged, cleaned and restored to a fully operational condition. Removing the accumulated waste significantly improved the tank’s functionality and ensured it could continue operating safely within the client’s system.

By safely extracting and disposing of the waste through licensed treatment and composting facilities, the project also supported environmentally responsible waste management.

Solution:

Results:

Over 250 tonnes of sludge and waste material were safely removed from the tank across the three-day project. The tank interior was fully cleaned and restored, allowing it to be returned to service without further disruption.

The use of specialist equipment and an experienced confined space team ensured the work was completed efficiently, safely and in full compliance with environmental and safety standards.