Underground Water Tank Plans wanted

siphoxolo · Sep 6, 2004

HI anyone got any plans or ideas, photos of how to construct an underground rain water tank.

Any info would be of gr8 help

Cheers

Siphoxolo /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif </font><font color="blue" class="small">( )</font>

bebster · Sep 6, 2004

This link may be helpful, although they may not supply S. Africa.
Good luck. What do plan to use the tank for?
Link

daedong · Sep 6, 2004

siphoxolo,
Is there any reason to put it under ground, Here in oz we often semi bury poly tanks just to get them lower then the dwelling.

jmc · Sep 6, 2004

Around here, they're called cisterns. Might try a Google search under that name.

daedong · Sep 7, 2004

jmc,
I think these tanks are very different, this link shows typical semi buried tank,

http://www.bushmantanks.com/tank_ins_ex02.html

daedong · Sep 7, 2004

This is mine 1/3 in the ground, it holds 7000 gal

siphoxolo · Sep 7, 2004

Thanx for all the responses. The main reason I would prefer to have completely underground it the esthetics. I don't like the look of a large over grown plastic cup sitting in the front garden. The second is that there are a few large areas where i could collect rainwater. I would need about three of those bushman tanks - which pushes the price up. I thought of building a large tank able to hold vast amounts of rainwater collected from the down pipes via underground pipes. Similar to a septic tank system but for rain water.

I have got fresh municipal water but rainwater is cheap weel its free. When I have the money one day I want to sink a borehole which then the water could be pumped into the tank. these are a few of the plans for my many years ahead. hey one has to be an optimist. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

CHeers

Siphoxolo

PaulIH · Oct 2, 2004

I built my own underground tank from cement block and concrete. Its about 5500 gallons and was pretty cheap for a tank that size. I dug a hole 6 foot deep, poured a footer and set block about 5 foot or so high, then capped it off with a concrete top. I used a sand floor not cement and a potable liner, since it is drinking water also. The inside dimensions are about 13X13 and 5 1/2 foot high. I have two wells that are on timers and pump into the cistern, there is a shallow well pump for the house supply. happy digging Paul

daedong · Oct 2, 2004

Paul,

Many old homes in the outback have underground tanks and most being about 12'x12'x12' they were made from stone and mortar and now if they leak they put liners in them.

Were do you live

JD3130 · Oct 2, 2004

I grew up with these ciscerns. When Dad built the house he put one under the car port. It was 5 foot deep 10 wide and 16 long. Had a Concrete floor, cenderblock walls. ( just like the basement) The outside was hot tar coated before they back filled it. If I remember right. They applied 6 mil plastic to the tar before it cooled. The inside was plastered with a mortar mix. Which he checked every 4 or 5 years. The top had Steel I beams to support the concrete and weight of the cars. The place was left to me. When I sold it some 45 years after it was built it still had no cracks and didn't leak. It was feed by the gutters of the house and his shop. Hope this helps. This was in W. Va.