Bushfires might be common, but that doesn’t stop them from being a dangerous and terrifying experience for anyone stuck in the middle.
Once the fires have burnt out and it’s time to rebuild, the situation can be made much worse by the loss of a water tank, just when you need it most. When your home and your livelihood is at risk, cleaning up the mess of burned and melted amenities adds insult to injury.
This added stress and expense can be avoided by installing a concrete water tank. Concrete water tanks are specifically designed to withstand the heat of bushfires and will ensure your home has the water it needs to extinguish those fires.
Withstanding the Heat
Most homes choose plastic water and wastewater tanks as standard, due to the initial cost of installing. The truth is, a bushfire will melt a water tank in a matter of hours, causing you to lose your tank and your saved water. Rebuilding from scratch is costly, but these costs can pale in comparison to the effects of having no water to help deal with the lasting effects of a bushfire.
Our advice is to go concrete. Concrete water tanks are designed with materials that can withstand the heat of a bushfire, meaning you won’t need to replace it. Your concrete tank will keep your water safe and enable you to focus on rebuilding and getting life back to normal once the fire has passed.
Out of Sight
The concrete tanks Versatile Tanks design and build for families, farmers and business owners all over Australia can be sunk entirely into the ground. This means no unsightly concrete in your yard, but it also means there’s another defence against bushfires. This is really important advice: as it’s sunk into the ground, your tank will be protected further against the extreme heat.
We specialise in underground tanks that are engineered and certified to withstand applied loads on their lids. This means you can place up to 300mm of earth on our standard tanks lids as standard – but we can offer engineered concrete tank lids designed to withstand permanent loads of earth up to 1.5m over the tank lid.
Concrete underground tanks can also withstand concrete slabs from 100mm thick to 200mm thick, compaction and even asphalt, meaning you can build driveways and public car parks over them. Just let us know what your plans are when we’re designing your tank and we can ensure your tank is as strong as you need it to be.
Sizes for All
We create water storage tanks for domestic, commercial or industrial use, and we can create a bespoke plan for you depending on your requirements. Whether you need to provide water for an individual homestead or an entire town, we can work with you to engineer a water storage solution that fits your needs.
Our underground or inground water storage tanks come in 3 main sizes:
- 6700 litres
- 11700 litres
- 22500 litres.
Our 22,500-litre system is the largest we offer – and we recommend going big, rather than starting small. You never know when you’ll need that extra water.
For more information on the sizes of our tanks, visit our water tanks page.
Water for Firefighting
Having a 22,500-litre supply of separate water, especially designated to fire fighting efforts, is one of your best bets in keeping your home and property safe when summer rolls around.
Your concrete rainwater tank can be designed to have both retention and detention, providing a vital source of water to help fight fires in your area. Even if your home isn’t affected by fire, the water retained within your water tank can be used to put out fires in your immediate area, potentially saving the lives of your neighbours. Versatile Tanks can also have a specialist stortz valve fitted for the firefighters to connect their hoses to, so they can get immediate access to your water when it is needed the most.
Get Permission
Before you start planning your concrete water tank, you need to check the permissions with your local authorities. There’s a lot to think about when installing a concrete tank underground, including:
- Underground power lines
- Sewerage
- Drainage
- Mains water
- Stormwater services.
You’ll also need to find out if the area you’re planning to install a concrete water tank in is prone to flooding, to make sure the tank remains in a stable position throughout its lifetime.
Find the Space
Another important thing to check before starting the install of your concrete water tank is that you have enough space around the area to carry out the work.
2.5 meters of space all around the tank is needed for machinery to get to it – and this space is still needed once the install is complete, so it can be reached by the fire services and servicing companies.
Build in the Spring
In the outback during the summer it can often be too hot to build and install a concrete water tank.
The ideal conditions for a water tank installation day are dry and fair, with a temperature not exceeding 32 degrees celsius.
It’s also not advisable to build if there are reports of rain or heavy wind, as this poses a number of problems. Wind can affect the cranes and lifting equipment used to build the tank, and rain will stop the concrete from setting correctly, making it harder for heavy machinery to operate – particularly on soft ground.
Plan Carefully
Installing a concrete water tank isn’t as simple as excavating a space and then dropping a ready-made tank into the hole. We can offer expert advice to help you choose the right solution for your needs and we can also advise you on the precision excavation of your land.
Whether you plan to build one tank or install several linked tanks at once, there is a lot to think about. It can be tempting to rush into getting a concrete tank, particularly if you’ve experienced devastation from a bushfire before. Our best advice is to speak to us about what you want from your tank and we can give you all the information you need. No matter your requirements, we can help.
For more information on how we could help you, please call our New South Wales office on 1300 783 344.