Galvanised steel tanks in Leicestershire

Who uses them in the county

Leicestershire's mix of farming, quarrying and logistics gives these tanks a wide spread of jobs. Quarries and aggregate yards in Charnwood need water on hand for dust suppression and wheel washing. Distribution parks on the M1 and M69 harvest rain from their roofs for washing and flushing. In the Melton countryside, equestrian centres water arenas and farms store wash-down and spray water. Sports clubs and golf courses in the Soar valley use them to bank water for pitches and greens ahead of the summer.

• Dust suppression and wheel-wash water at quarries
• Harvested rainwater at warehouses and depots
• Arena watering and yard supply for equestrian centres
• Farm wash-down, sprayer filling and livestock water
• Irrigation for nurseries and sports grounds

Why above ground on clay

Below-ground storage in clay means a deep dig, wet excavations and pumps to get the water out again. A steel tank skips all of that: it stands on a slab, its outlets sit at a level that suits the pumps, and any problem can be seen from the outside. Bolted construction also means it can be taken down and rebuilt if the site changes.

Quarries move their working faces and distribution parks rearrange their yards, so being able to unbolt the tank and re-erect it nearer the action is often what tips the choice. A buried store would simply be abandoned where it lay.

Build sequence

Others design and build the base for the full filled load. Clay can move with the seasons, so the engineer's base design matters more here than on rock. Once it's ready, we check level and setting out, then bolt the galvanised panels together one ring at a time.

A fitted internal liner carries the water and keeps it off the steel joints. Next come the connections: supply in, draw-off out, an overflow, and a gauge to read the level, each one sealed. The first fill goes in by stages, proving the structure under load before you rely on it.

Sizing and siting

We'll talk through how much water you need to hold, where the tank can stand, and how it will be filled and drawn. On a farm that might mean siting it by the yard tap; at a quarry, close to the wheel wash and within reach of a bowser.