Will lowering water tanks by 15cm have any noticeable effect on gravity flow system?

[LordWest]

Hello,

I live in a building that is a conversion of two terrace houses into several flats. We have 7 levels (basement, ground, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4rth, and 5th), and each level has two flats, except for the 5th floor, which is the attic and on one side there is a small studio and on the other side there are the cold water tanks, which are stacked as shown in the photo below.

The current tanks do not have proper lids and I wish to replace them with new tanks. If I lower the position of the new tanks by 15cm, will that make noticeable difference in the gravity flow system?

Thanks,

 

[steadyon]

1. If I understand it correctly, the studio flat floor is on the same level as the attic in which the tanks are situated. If this is so, lowering the cold water storage cisterns could well affect that flat. It would have negligible impact on those below the attic level.
2. Most of this country lived for years with no lids on the cisterns. While not totally hygienic it is workable. You are going to undertake a great deal of work and expense to change the tanks.
3. Could you not attach battens to the rafters, slide made up (plywood covered with polythene) covers on to the battens to cover the tanks, then seal the gaps at the ends?

 

[Ric2013]

3. Could you not attach battens to the rafters, slide made up (plywood covered with polythene) covers on to the battens to cover the tanks, then seal the gaps at the ends?

Hi Steadyon,

Plywood covered with polythene, agree, if it were my house and not feeding the kitchen sink, I'd live with it. A lot of the dirt in those tanks probably came out of the water itself anyway. But the OP will probably be able to source purpose-made lids easily and inexpensively enough. and should be able to fit them... just. Worth noting that proper lids aren't much better than polythene in this context, if fitted with care, but every person removing and refitting the polythene needs to be equally meticulous.

Agree with your other comments. Would further add that lowering the tank merely because the access is bad for cleaning is probably not worth the effort. They can still be cleaned, it'll just take longer, but so long as it gets done, who cares? What I would say, though, is that if these flats are rented then the landlord has a duty of care, and if there are other issues than the access for maintenance, then hats off to whoever is prepared to pay for the work to be done.