Concrete Water Tank Repairs, Liners and Banding

Water is such a precious resource that no one wants to see wasted due to cracked and leaking water tanks. Most concrete water tanks will develop cracks over time due to ground movement and given our climate of extreme dry and wet periods alike, there is always the potential for further movement and cracking. Sometimes the cracks are not as obvious, floor cracks are common and often go undetected.

Repairing a water tank using sealants or fillers may seem like an inexpensive solution, and it can be successful, but this is usually when there are only minor cracks, it’s not normally the case for water tanks where there is severe damage and/or multiple cracks.

Sealants and fillers may only be a short-term solution, we find that many of the water tanks we install liners in have already been patched. It’s also important to note that most sealants and fillers only allow for a very small amount of movement, so say you were to apply a product with a 15% stretch rating across a crack of 1mm, it only has to move 0.2 of 1mm before the patch starts to fail. By installing a liner, we provide the seal which allows for further structural movement of the tank.

If you are looking for a more permanent solution to repairing your cracked and leaking water tank, installing a tank liner is a far more reliable, long term solution, which in the end makes it a more cost-effective alternative.

Liner

All liners are custom-made to fit your water tank size and shape, domestic or commercial.

We use quality Australian made tank liners that comply with Australian Standard AS/NZS 4020:2018 Water Potability Standard. Products for use in contact with drinking water.

Reinforced, Advanced Thermoplastic Polyolefin material (TPO) ideally suited to tank liners.

UV stable, potable certified to the Australian standard and BPA free.

Contains no plasticisers which can migrate out of the liner over time causing shrinkage, brittleness and premature failure.

Does not leave a smell or taste in the water.

Is reinforced so it does not shrink or stretch.

Made in Australia for Australian Conditions.

Installation

Installing a liner in your water tank can be done with minimal downtime. We will clean, drain and install your liner within the same day, in most cases.

Once the water tank has been cleaned and drained the piers or supports are removed and the floor and wall of the water tank are checked thoroughly for anything sharp that may compromise or puncture the liner.

When required we core drill new outlets and install new brass flanged liner outlets and gate valves, and we pre-drill all liner fixing points. We check the position of the overflow to ensure that it is below the inlet and also make sure that there is enough overflow, taking no chances, as we have had to re-pin and/or replace liners that have failed due to this not being taken into account during the initial installation by other parties. In our experience we find that liner failures generally come down to poor installation rather than product failure.

We line the tank with a layer of Geotech for added protection between the tank and the liner. Metal roof support posts are removed and replaced with acrow props, for tanks with piers, we remove a small section at the base of the concrete pier to allow for the installation of the liner, we then re-pack these with compressed concrete and food grade rubber pads to protect the liner. Once the liner is secured to the tank wall, all inlets and outlets are sealed, the external plumbing can then be re-fitted, and your tank is ready to use again.

If you are in an area that is at risk of being affected by bushfires, we can install a Stortz fitting that can be used by the Fire Department should they need to defend your property.

Banding

Horizontal cracks do not pose a major structural concern, but if your water tank is severely damaged with multiple vertical cracks, we may recommend banding to reinstate the structural integrity of the tank. This is because the reo inside your tank wall could be rusted at the crack lines, which means that the structural strength of the tank could be compromised, and the tank wall could blow out under the pressure of the water pushing against it once is able to hold full capacity due to liner installation.

If you are unsure about the structural integrity of your concrete water tank, fitting steel bands may be the simplest way to give you back your piece-of-mind, as well as potentially avert further movement and cracking of the tank wall in the future. Our steel bands are fabricated specifically for your water tank with tension points at every join for optimal effectiveness.