﻿Water Concerns with Warehouse Food Storage

Due to the soaring temperatures experienced by Dubai and the UAE during the long summer months, and their large desert terrain, the ability to produce and grow vast amounts of food is virtually impossible. An estimated 85% of Dubai’s food resources are imported from around the world every year and so, when these are received, they need to be properly stored.
To ensure that produce remains safe and undamaged various issues have to be considered, in particular the water supply throughout the warehouse, a vital natural resource but which can have expensive damaging effects if not properly controlled.

Food storage warehouses need to have the ability to chill produce as not all imports are dry foods. It is vital, therefore, that fresh and frozen food is kept at the correct storage temperature. Many warehouses have temperature-controlled chambers that can be set to different levels to allow for the storage of different products. In order to chill these chambers, water will be pumped through refrigeration pipelines from a main cooling system, thereby maintaining the appropriate temperature. If you were to experience a leak in these chiller chambers then problems could occur. There could be a build-up of damp and mould, which is a health and safety hazard, floors could become slippery posing a risk to staff members of sustaining injury and, importantly, water leaking onto produce could ruin the supplies. Pipework could be installed across ceilings, leaking down onto supplies or the pipelines leading to these chambers could be installed underground, with any leaking water being unidentifiable. Monitoring the floors both in and out of the chiller chambers for wet concrete or damp flooring could indicate an underground issue.

Many warehouses have different storage areas so they can safely store not only chilled and frozen produce, but also dry produce, such as tinned food, cereals and other non-perishable goods. These are usually stored in cardboard boxes, or similar, and are stacked from the floor up through shelving. If water were to leak either across the floor from leaking pipework or there was damage to the roof that could allow rain water to leak in, the produce again is at risk of being damaged or ruined.

Finally, due to the temperatures in Dubai and the risk of fires in warehouses being of concern, warehouses will have fire lines installed to enable a swift response to any fire emergencies. It is important to ensure that theses lines are in full working order so that when needed they are at maximum capacity. Any leaks either in the lines themselves or the pipework supplying the hoses could result in low pressure water being pumped out, which would be less effective if there was a fire and prompt action was required.
With the reliance on food imports, the healthy, safe and appropriate storage of this produce is a vital consideration for Dubai businesses and the expense of wasted ruined supplies would be financially damaging.

Given the complexities of a warehouse set up, as far as the water supplies and systems are concerned, which revolve around all of the elements set out above, it can be difficult to identify any leaking water or pinpoint exactly where any water is leaking from. If you are concerned that you may have a leak in your system it is vital to rectify the problem straight away to avoid the financial burden of ruined food supplies. This is where LeakDtech can assist. Passionate about conserving water and assisting residents and businesses in keeping their property as safe as possible, they can utilise state of the art, advanced technology which can scan any area of your warehouse and immediately identify the presence of any leaking water. This will allow for a swift remedial repair, without the cost of invasive inspections, both saving you money and protecting the two vital supplies needed for survival – food and water. Please feel free to contact our experienced and dedicated team to discuss your concerns.


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