Water tanks for bulk storage

Bulk storage water tanks could be required for a number of purposes and the requirements will often be very specific to the user. Considering the different uses for bulk water storage, and what is most appropriate in the circumstances, is where Tanks-UK can help.

Firstly, we need to ascertain what type of water needs to be stored. The two basic categories are potable and non-potable. Put simply, potable water means drinkable water. Non-potable water is not suitable for human consumption so would be used for any other application. Tanks for use with potable water have to be WRAS (Water Regulations Approval Scheme) approved, and are usually black or another opaque colour to prevent light ingress causing potential algae growth.

Most of the potential applications we describe here are for non-potable water but some do require tanks to the standards for potable water.

Irrigation

Having a stored water supply ready for irrigating plants is often critical where there is not immediate access to mains water, or a suitable natural extraction point such as a nearby watercourse. Nurseries, Garden Centres, Smallholdings and Tree Nurseries are some examples of where this type of tank would be used.

Rainwater harvest tanks may be used for irrigation water supply and Tanks-UK can supply the fully equipped systems for this purpose, such as the Hydrostore® range.

Crop spraying water supply

Bulk water storage tanks are useful on a farm for setting up crop spraying equipment. The basic tanks are supplied with bib taps, but we can customise to your requirements if you need a more precise filling mechanism.

Livestock

On farms there is obviously a need for a ready water supply for livestock, both for drinking water, and washing down of stock sheds, barns, etc. Vertical bulk water tanks are the ideal solution, allowing the bulk water supply to be available close to the area it will be used.

Private Water Supply

In some areas where mains water isn’t readily available, properties would probably draw water from private boreholes or wells. Generally this would also require some form of water storage tank, which could just be an indoor tank in a loft area, but often would require a larger bulk storage tank. This would be a WRAS approved plastic tank, and supplied with a Byelaw kit which protects the water from contamination.

• Ground level or above ground tanks Tanks-UK supply the Harlequin and Enduramaxx ranges of potable water tanks in the larger sizes suitable for bulk water storage and fully WRAS approved for potable water.
• Underground plastic tanks which are rotationally moulded from polyethylene. Tanks-UK supply Enduramaxx and Atlantis underground bulk water tanks, which are available up to 10,000 litre size.
• Underground GRP tanks are generally used for larger capacity bulk water storage. The GRP tanks that Tanks-UK supply are manufactured in the UK by SPEL and are available in various capacities right up to a massive 300,000 litres.

Firefighting tanks

In basic form a firefighting tank would simply be a bulk holding tank of water available for fire service use in the event of a fire. Recent fire incidents in the UK during the very dry weather and record high temperatures showed up a deficiency in firefighting water availability in rural areas. Considering climate change we should be more prepared for wildfires in the UK, as much damage was done in some areas to property – from fires starting in open fields. Firefighting water supplies on farms would lessen the risks as the water would be readily available instead of fire appliances having to travel a distance to refill from a lake or river.  This type of tank is also very applicable in many larger industrial sites.

Types of tanks used for this purpose would usually be:

• Sectional steel which are supplied in ‘kit’ form for installation on site. They require a Butyl rubber or EDPM liner, and would normally also have a cover or galvanised roof to protect the water from algae growth and other contaminants. These are almost always ground level installations.
• Sectional GRP which are built up from moulded GRP units to create the capacity required. This type of tank is more versatile than the steel ones in terms of where they can be installed.
• Underground plastic (polyethylene) tanks – in this context they would be fully fitted out with pumps and filters for firefighting purposes.
• Underground GRP tanks – available in a large range of sizes and configurations these are very durable for long term use. Again they would be fitted with the required equipment for this purpose.

Fire sprinkler system tanks

These are often required either because the sprinkler system requires a separate supply or the mains water supply is not of sufficient pressure. In some cases they would be gravity feed and mounted on a tower structure or a rooftop, but in other cases they will rely on a pressure system. Because each sprinkler system is unique to the building, there is no standard tank or tank size. The types of tank typically used, and meeting the required standards, would be:

• Sectional steel with liner and cover.
• Sectional GRP – which for this application might be roof mounted or ground level.

Just give us a call on 01953 665940 or email info@tanks-uk.com with your requirements and we’ll send you a quote.