An alternative to concrete water storage

SBS Tanks can assist municipalities in giving communities access to water with a solution that has shorter turnaround times and is less capital intensive. AN ALTERNATIVE TO CONCRETE WATER STORAGE

The use of Zincalume® coated steel panels and potable water liner within the structure gives SBS Tanks a lifespan of over 65 years

Traditional concrete water storage solutions are no longer the best solution for every application, even for wastewater or bulk water storage. Concrete reservoirs are very complex structures that involve a costly and time-consuming design, planning and construction process that also utilises a great deal of water,” says Mava Gwagwa, director: New Business Development, SBS Tanks.

In the Nkangala District of Mpumalanga, eMalahleni Local Municipality required a cost-effective and quick solution to increase bulk potable water storage for the KwaGuqa township, situated west of eMalahleni.

“The immediate need was to increase bulk water storage between the existing 10 million litre concrete reservoir and a 400 000 litre elevated tank, which gravity feeds to the community. As part of the first phase, SBS Tanks installed two bulk water tanks, with the combined storage capacity of over 6 million litres,” states Gwagwa.

The setup has been up and running effectively and SBS Tanks has recently installed an additional 9 million litres of storage capacity.

Due to age and decay, the existing water treatment plant will be decommissioned and the three newly installed bulk water tanks, which store over 3 million litres each, will be fed from a new water treatment plant. Once this plant comes online, the SBS Tank ‘farm’ (where five blue SBS Tanks stand within a securely fenced plot) will come into play and feed into the existing supply network via the elevated tank to the community.

“Using modular water storage reservoirs from SBS Tanks gives municipal engineers and managers a fast and effective solution for bulk water storage at community level, for desalination plants, effluent processing and even for the built environment,” explains Gwagwa.

He adds that SBS Tanks are quick to install and can be commissioned immediately, with the cost being considerably less than traditional concrete structures. “SBS Tanks can be installed anywhere, no matter how remote the location. The use of Zincalume® coated steel panels and potable water liner within the structure gives SBS Tanks a lifespan of over 65 years.”

With over two decades of experience serving the water sector, providing water and liquid storage solutions to the municipal, mining, fire protection, commercial and agricultural sectors, SBS Tanks is ready to assist the municipal sector with its bulk water storage needs.

The solution provided by SBS Tanks to eMalahleni Local Municipality

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