What's The Best Type Of Water Tank For Rainwater Harvesting: A Buyers Guide

What’s the best type of water tank for rainwater harvesting?  Before purchasing a water storage tanks for rainwater harvesting there are a few questions you should ask yourself.  Rainwater harvesting tanks can be big investments so these will help you make the right decision making sure it is right the first time. Following is a bit about the styles of rain harvesting water tanks which are available on the market

What types of Rainwater Harvesting Tanks are available?

1. Metal Water Tanks – these tanks have always been a good alternative to concrete tanks as they are lighter, cheaper, and easier to install. However, if the intention for the water is to be for drinking over time these tanks will corrode, and the rust can pollute the water.
2. Concrete Water Tanks – are used for rainwater harvesting and are heavy and more expensive to install as larger machinery is required to move and install these.  The lime from the concrete can also leach into the water in the tank which makes it unsuitable for use as drinking water tanks.
3. Fibreglass Tanks – this tank is stronger than metal and concrete however per litres of storage tend to be more expensive due to the manufacturing process as these tanks can be very labour intensive to build. When it comes to tanks larger than 15,000 gallons, these are the best option.
4. Plastic Water tanks – polyethene tanks are used a lot for rainwater harvesting and for potable drinking water.  The main advantage of these tanks is the quality and ease of installation.  These tanks for rainwater harvesting area available in a variety of colours however for drinking water these would need to be black or blue.  Natural (translucent) water tanks are not suitable as the light from the sun can cause algae to grow in the tank.  Sometimes these tanks can be buried underground in ribbed underground water tanks or may require insulation to reduce the effects of heat gain.

Does the material of your water tank matter?

This depends on the purpose of the water you are storing.   For water tanks for irrigation and car washing, this may not be too much of a problem.  If the water is going to be used for drinking for livestock or human consumption the tank needs to be approved for this purpose.  Our plastic potable water tanks are WRAS approved and approved for food contact ensuring that there is no tainting of the water from the material used to manufacture the tank.  Metal water storage tanks can rust and corrode over time as well as concrete tanks. This means that the rust or parts of the tank will leak into your rainwater.

Read our Rainwater Harvesting FAQs here

Will the colour make a difference to a rainwater tank?

The right colour tank can affect the water quality on in the tank.  If the tank is outside or exposed to the suns light a translucent tank can let the light of the sun in and cause algae to grow.  A black, blue, or dark green tank is opaque and does not let the suns light into the tank which means having the right colour rainwater tank makes the difference between useable water and unusable water.

View how much rainwater you can save here

What is the best type of Rainwater Tank to Purchase?

After reading What’s the best type of water tank for rainwater harvesting, to purchase effective rainwater or drinking water tank you will need to plan. If you are looking for a cost-effective, robust water tank that will not grow algae, please view our products here.   Plastic tanks are the first choice for a reason.