Finally Doing It...

[norcalfarm]

So as some of you may have noticed from my thread topics on here, I am very concerned with water conservation. Well, recently an opportunity arose that will make my dreams of harvesting rainwater a reality. I am purchasing a 15,000 gallon water tank very cheap. It is a steel tank 10 ft diameter and 25 ft tall. My biggest expense will be the crane to move it.

Originally I had planned on using it upright but today while meeting with the crane operator, he suggested that if we didn't want to look at it, we could bury it or lay it on it's side.

My plan is to place it above my house, garden and fruit trees midslope but below a wet weather spring further up the hill. My thoughts are that I can pick up enough head pressure in the pipe from the spring to then make the rise to the top of the tank. All water from the tank would be gravity-fed for the purpose of watering plants or animals.

Here are my questions:

What would the benefits and drawbacks be of burying the tank?

What would I need to do to protect it from rust if buried?

If I do place it standing, how thick of a concrete pad would I need? I believe that the filled weight would be close to 140,000 lbs.

Anything else that I need to know, before I dive into this?

I'm sure that I am forgetting details. I appreciate any info that you can offer.

Jason

[Bentley]

Attach a sacrificial anode to the tank after burying it. Place the anode several feet away from the tank, and cadweld the anode lead to the tank. It will require a rather large trackhoe to excavate and set a tank this size. Call 811 before digging.

I would leave 5' of the tank out of the ground for good access. This portion can be painted. The anode will protect the buried portion. An anode would be much less expensive than attempting to paint the tank with a product that would actually offer corrosion protection below ground. The soil/air interface will be the toughest area to protect, but there are products made for that. Also, it might require more than one anode, depending on the existing tank coating.

The sacrificial anode will have to be replaced after a few years. How long it will last depends on a ton of variables. With basic corrosion skills, you can monitor it yourself with a sensitive voltmeter and a half cell.

http://freespace.virgin.net/roger.alexander/cppaper.htm
http://www.farwestcorrosion.com/fwst/anodgalv.htm

Good luck

b

[ghmerrill]

I would not bury it. the higher above ground the better water pressure you get. set it up right and plant a stand of bamboo around to hide it!

[kabri]

So you would only fill it from spring water, and not catch any off the house? I think that downspout re-routing would be easier, if you had the elevation difference between your gutters and the top of the tank. That would be another reason to bury most of the tank, so you could collect from your roof too.

[||Downhome||]

First thing I'm going to ask is what is the tanks construction?

[norcalfarm]

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. I was away yesterday. Thank you for all of the replies. I need to figure out how to post pics on here and it would be much easier to explain.

Originally Posted by ||Downhome||

First thing I'm going to ask is what is the tanks construction?

It is steel with access at the bottom and top. There is a ladder to the top. The access and the discharge are about 90 degrees apart.

Originally Posted by kabri

So you would only fill it from spring water, and not catch any off the house? I think that downspout re-routing would be easier, if you had the elevation difference between your gutters and the top of the tank. That would be another reason to bury most of the tank, so you could collect from your roof too.

My property is about 20-30% slope. We put a manufactured home near the road at the bottom of the hill in hopes to someday build a house up the hill. My fruit trees and my garden are up the hill from my house. Someday if we build, it will be up the hill from the tank, so we would then pipe the gutters to the tank. There is nowhere near my house that is an option to bury it.

Originally Posted by ghmerrill

I would not bury it. the higher above ground the better water pressure you get. set it up right and plant a stand of bamboo around to hide it!

The bamboo idea is definitely a possibility.

Originally Posted by Bentley

Attach a sacrificial anode to the tank after burying it. Place the anode several feet away from the tank, and cadweld the anode lead to the tank. It will require a rather large trackhoe to excavate and set a tank this size. Call 811 before digging.

I would leave 5' of the tank out of the ground for good access. This portion can be painted. The anode will protect the buried portion. An anode would be much less expensive than attempting to paint the tank with a product that would actually offer corrosion protection below ground. The soil/air interface will be the toughest area to protect, but there are products made for that. Also, it might require more than one anode, depending on the existing tank coating.

The sacrificial anode will have to be replaced after a few years. How long it will last depends on a ton of variables. With basic corrosion skills, you can monitor it yourself with a sensitive voltmeter and a half cell.

http://freespace.virgin.net/roger.alexander/cppaper.htm
http://www.farwestcorrosion.com/fwst/anodgalv.htm

Good luck

b

Thank you, I will have to look into what a sacrificial anode is, I'm not familiar with it but once I get some free time I will google it.

[norcalfarm]

Hope that these two photos help.

To explain my property in this photo:

Terraced area in center is my garden.

To the left of the driveway is my house and near it are all of my fruit trees.

Right center is a gate where the road continues up the hill. Just outside of this gate is where I want to place the tank.

Very top of the picture where the largest digger pine stands is where the wet weather spring is located.

[oregon woodsmok]

I had that set up. Tank not as big as yours, but tank filled with an artesian spring and then ran down to the house. Fall gave good water pressure.

My tank was above ground but very well shaded and in a cool place. If tank is above ground and gets sunlight, the water will be warm and probably grow algae.

[norcalfarm]

Thank you for your comments. I believe that I will go above ground and probably plant some bamboo around it.

[unregistered65598]

What was stored in the tank before?

[norcalfarm]

Owner tells me water has been stored for the 35 years that they owned it. I was originally concerned because it was manufactured as a diesel tank. They have it plumbed from their well and then to the orchard so it seems they are telling the truth to some degree.

[ronbre]

are you sure you can get enough pressure from the spring to raise the water 50' to the top of the tank? you might need to pump it up there..

[norcalfarm]

It's 25' to the top. spring is higher on the hill so I believe that once the pipe fills with water, it will force it up the pipe. If not, I can pump it up if I have to.