For domestic or commercial properties, a concrete tank is an essential addition to any home. A concrete water tank provides a way of storing your water securely and safely. In fact, a concrete water tank can be a great way to store water, chemicals, or dangerous goods.
It can even be used as a concrete wine cellar – so you see, water tanks really do have all sorts of uses! A concrete water tank will help you save water, and in doing so, it’ll go some way to helping you and your business protect the environment. Giving you a way in which to store water safely and efficiently, water tanks like ours come in various sizes and lengths and can be delivered throughout Australia.
For more information on Versatile Tank’s underground concrete water tanks services, contact us today.
Benefits of an Underground Concrete Water Tank
Immediate access to water all year round –
It isn’t uncommon for Australia to experience water shortages, hosepipe bands or water consumption limitations. An underground water tank provides one single resource for water, available on tap. It provides a simple, easy access point all year round.
Discreet and hidden away
-Your concrete tank will be out of sight, regardless of how large it is. Underground installation ensures the tank is completely hidden out of sight, with no space complications. Concrete tanks can be situated beneath a drive, path or garden area so it isn’t an issue if you have problems with space.
Safe water supply
– Algae growth eliminated due to water being stored underground. No chemicals added, no biproducts so water is not contaminated.
Long lifespan –
The nature of the concrete material along with the specifications of the tank means that your water is stored in a tight-sealed container elongates the lifespan of equipment, manages temperature control.
Can be customised to suit your needs
– As our concrete tanks are completed and manufactured at our specialist factories, specific dimensions and requirements such as lid sizes or modifications can be taken care of. What’s more, being manufactured on-site ensures no microcracks form.
Environmentally friendly
-Recycling is less of an issue because of the extreme durability of a concrete water tank, but if the need arises, concrete is an environmentally friendly material.
Underground water tanks are designed to withstand transport from 5kpa up to 26kpa (kilopascal – pressure measurement), and concrete water tanks can handle concrete slabs from 100mm thick to 200mm thick – so you know you’ve chosen a reliable material.
How Versatile Tanks Make Our Concrete Water Tanks
This guide gives more information about how Versatile Tanks make our concrete water tanks.
Our concrete water storage tanks are made from high strength concrete, with a mix that means we gain high strength in hardly any time at all (50mpa) We use Australian structural steel welded to Australian standard to ensures even concrete coverage. The stainless steel mould ensures no microcracks form with no joins. This eliminates the risk of leaks. What’s more, our tanks can also be adapted into wine cellars should you need.
For more about concrete water tank construction, click here.
How are the Underground Concrete Water Tanks Installed?
Preparing for Your Concrete Water Tank
Getting everything ready for installation day is as important as the construction of the water tank itself.
- Begin by booking your crane (all Versatile Tanks have 4 x 5 ton swift pins installed into the walls) and make ordering a pump system with a working pressure above 300kPa your next job on your to-do list.
- The next step in the process is to order a low slump ballast mix for installation. This needs to have a low density and low slump concrete.
- Finally, you’ll need to check the weather forecast and perform a thorough risk assessment, too. Your tank can be constructed above or below ground, and its base needs to be flat – preferably laser-levelled, It requires around 150 ml of compacted road base, no fill, and in terms of the foundation on which your tank will be built, it needs to be able to stand some weight.
- Choose an area of ground that has uniform thickness that’s capable of bearing a pressure of 100 kPa, and you’ll be more than ready to get going. You’ll also need to have plenty of room around the tank, for building the scaffolding after laying out the formwork.
Excavation of Your Concrete Water Tank
Click here for more information about excavating your water tank.
- Mark the dimensions for your water tank, and clear any debris. You’ll also need to ensure there are no people in the vicinity, taking care to follow strict health and safety regulations throughout.
- Ascertain if the hole is square and ensure there is no hazardous soil or other harmful materials in and around the hole. This will, of course, need to be removed before installation begins.
Installing Your Underground Water Tank
It’s at this stage that you’re ready for installation. Your installation team will begin by lifting and slowly lowering the tank into the hole that’s been specially created. In doing so, the team will be sure to leave a 15cm gap between the battered wall and the tank wall.
Once the tank’s in position, the unit can be backfilled with a concrete ballast mix, before the original soil goes in.
Popular Sizes
Underground concrete water tanks come in a range of sizes and are available in large dimensions, suitable for providing whole house solutions.
Underground or inground water storage tanks comes in 3 main sizes: 6700 litres, 11700 litres, and 22500 litres.
| 6700 Litre Concrete Water Tank: | 11700 Litre Concrete Water Tank: | 22500 Litre Concrete Water Tank: |
| Height: 2100mm | Height: 2400mm | Height: 2600mm |
| Width: 2100mm | Width: 2400mm | Width: 2400mm |
| Length: 1800mm | Length: 2400mm | Length: 4400mm |
| Weight: 4.1 ton | Weight: 7.1 ton | Weight: 11.7 ton |
Installing a tank has a fair few processes involved, from initial permission checking through to site installation. Our rectangular and square water tanks can suit domestic and commercial properties, our installation may be lengthy, but ensures your water tank is installed the right way.
Find more information on concrete water tank sizes and benefits here.
Maintaining your Underground Concrete Water Tank
When to Replace Concrete Water Tanks
Rather than replacing these tanks, more often than not you will find that simple maintenance work is all that is needed with your underwater tanks. A routine check on back flow prevention valves should occur around every 12 months. You shouldn’t need to check the tank more than every two years, unless you expect sediment has built up.
Even though concrete is the most durable of all materials to work with, it still needs some maintenance and TLC. Eventually cracking due to curing, shrinkage, settling or seismic activity, concrete is certainly not invincible. That is why it is important to know how to seal concrete tanks should the need occur.
How to Seal Concrete Water Tanks
You can reduce the likelihood of cracks by planning ahead to avoid future issues. Sealing can stop leaks from occurring. We can provide concrete waterproofing systems that offer a host of benefits, with the following available:
- Liquid membranes applied by spray, roller or trowel.
- Self-adhering, rubberised asphalt sheet membranes or barriers
Other options to consider
- Cementitious products which can be mixed with water and applied with a brush.
- Built-up systems – in which layers of hot asphalt are alternated with perforated felt layers.
- Sodium bentonite, a clay-like material can be applied to the outside of your tank.
Underground Concrete Water Tank Repair
How to Repair Concrete Water Tanks
Please note that Versatile Tanks do not offer repair services!
For our exact services check out our FAQ page.
However, even though we don’t offer this, we’ve got some handy tips on underwater tank maintenance below.
Crack Repair in Underground Water Tanks
You can sort cracks in your underground tank no problem. All you need the following:
- Wire brush
- Chisel
- Hammer
- Concrete bonding agent
- Hydraulic cement
- Bucket
- Electric drill
How to Repair Cracks
- Start by ordering a tank liner from a liner manufacturer, considering the dimensions you need and ensuring you choose a liner which is rated as food-grade level rubber
- Order a tank liner from a tank manufacturer
- Drain the tank and clean out the tank. Remove any dirt and discard loose concrete
- Brushing a layer of concrete bonding agent into and surrounding the crack, cover the entire surface before waiting a few minutes for it to dry. The area must no longer be wet but will be a little tacky to the touch; wait until it gets to this stage before moving on
- Mix one part hydraulic cement with three parts water, using the electric drill with the mixer paddle attached
- Using the trowel, press the cement into the crack and fill it completely, before scraping over the surface with the trowel’s tilted edge. This will make it even with the concrete that surrounds it.
- Next, simply remove any excess cement and allow the area to dry. This should take around an hour.
- Coat the entire interior of the water tank with epoxy – this serves as an adhesive for the liner.
- Grab your paint roller and roll the resin onto the concrete.
- Starting in the middle of the tank, install the liner in the tank’s interior, pressing firmly on the liner itself to help it adhere to the concrete.
- Unfold the liner and spread it across the bottom of the tank and up the sides of the installation.
- Drill holes into the concrete (where the steel reinforced holes on the liner’s edge are found) using the hammer drill. You’ll now want to inject epoxy into the concrete holes to hold the anchors in place, before passing them through the steel reinforced liner holes into the concrete holes. This will hold the liner in place.
- Finally, give the epoxy time to dry, before refilling your tank.
Permission for an Underground Water Tank
Forward planning is required with any tank installation, and excavation of the land can be an extremely intricate but necessary process.
Before we begin, you’ll need to:
- Seek permission for installation from your local municipal council
- Ensure our tanks will complement your land and its needs
- Work out if you have adequate time to put aside for the installation process
It doesn’t matter whether you’re planning to use your water tank for storing water, chemicals or dangerous goods, or as a wine cellar; you’ll still need permission from the relevant local authorities. Start by checking the plans provided by your local authorities for gas, electricity, sewer, telephone, mains water, and storm water services. You’ll need 2.5 metres of space for machinery, and you’ll need to discover if the area is prone to flooding before doing anything else.
Have more questions? Find our definitive guide to underground concrete water tanks here.
Underground Concrete Water Tank Price
How Much Are Concrete Water Tanks?
Costs you’ll need to consider for an underground water tank include:
- Installation cost
- Material costs
Overall, a Concrete water storage tank can be a worthwhile investment, as they take up no valuable space on or around the property. Additionally, they’re extremely durable and purpose built, lasting up to 30 years. The benefits of this in terms of your water usage and access to water whenever you need, are worth the cost.
Why not obtain a no-obligation quote from us, and see if a concrete water tank will offer some benefits to your business? Contact us today and see what we can do for you!
Call: 0407 484 460 Email: info@versatiletanks.com.au