If you’ve decided that you need a water storage tank and have an idea of the volume of water you want to store, the next logical questions is: Where do I put this water storage tank? There are several factors to consider when making this decision that we will explore in today’s blog post. If you’re still thinking about if you need a water storage tank or what size tank might work for your needs, please review those previous blog posts.

Building Codes and Storage Tank

The first factor when considering location of your water storage tank is to refer to building codes. Water tanks should not be constructed on or immediately adjacent to a property line and typically they should be located a minimum 10’ away from any property lines, but check the codes for your specific county or municipality.

Access to the Proposed Location

The second factor to consideration is access to the storage tank site. While it is possible to put a tank almost anywhere, some of those locations can be very expensive when the logistics and engineering of installing the tank come into play. Is it possible to get the storage tank and any equipment necessary into this location without incurring large expenses to clear a road, cut down trees or hire a helicopter to move the tank into position? Sites accessible by vehicle that are mostly level with consolidated/well packed ground are going to be the most cost effective when it comes to installation.

Distances between tank location, well and house

The third factor is distance from the spring/well that will fill the storage tank, distance from the electrical supply and distance to the house/garden/fire hydrant that the storage tank will supply. Minimize these distances to minimize the amount of trenching, pipeline and electrical conduits that would need to be installed. Is the ground between these locations rocky or on steep in accessible slopes? If so the trenching costs could be much higher.

Water pressure from your storage tank

The fourth factor to consideration is how the water in the storage tank will be pressurized so that it is usable for your needs. Water pressure can come from 2 methods:

1) The storage tank is located higher than the house/garden/fire hydrant and the elevation/gravity provides the pressure. If you have this option available it is usually the best option. Even if it means locating the storage tank farther away and spending a bit more money on trenching and piping, using gravity is still the best option because long term you will not need to spend the money to purchase/repair booster pumps or pay for the electricity they require to operate. As you might have figured out, gravity always works and doesn’t require pumps or electricity to deliver water! Even if the electricity is off, water will still flow from your storage tank down to your house. Locating the tank ~80 feet in elevation above (not distance from) the house/garden area should provide adequate pressure. If 140 feet of elevation is available between your storage tank and house then this would provide sufficient pressure for a fire sprinkler system. Always make certain that the pipes are sized properly for the expected flow rates, undersized pipes can cause water pressure to drop if high flow rates are expected.

2) A booster pump is used to pressurize the water for house, garden and fire sprinkler needs. When using a booster pump the location of the storage tank becomes much more flexible. The storage tank can be located at or below the elevation of the house, but it will also become necessary to run electrical conduit/wire to the storage tank/booster pump location. Booster pumps are typically, but not always located in close proximity to the storage tank.

Water storage tank aesthetics

Finally, it is alway important to consider aesthetics when choosing a storage tank location. Your neighbor may not want to look at your storage tank from his deck in his back yard! You may be able to choose a fat short tank instead of a tall skinny one so that it hides behind a fence or a hedge. In some cases water storage tanks can be put underground, installed in garages or storage areas. Various styles and types of storage tanks are available that can help get the feng shui just right!

If you’re ready to install a storage tank and have a few locations in mind, please call our expert water system design crew at (707)944-2471. Our dedicated crew cares about your project and will help you review the site, come up with several locations and the costs/pros/cons associated with each of these options.