Water storage tank

Bugsinrugs · 08-25-2014, 08:43 AM

Anyone with any experience with water storage? My gallons per minute have decreased significantly and since my well is basically an underground river I thought of capturing and storing it for better supply to the house.
Above ground? Below ground?
Plastic or concrete? I need advice. Thanks

VincentVega · 08-25-2014, 09:22 AM

Mine is huge to help with the sprinkler system. Nothing fancy, just a pressurized tank as the first fixture from well pump. I dont think you can get one too big.

Taz's Master · 08-25-2014, 10:13 AM

I have a spring and it flows into a 1000 gallon concrete underground holding tank.

CalE · 09-01-2014, 11:23 PM

Bugs,
Family uses galvinazed tanks above ground in SLO county Ca. 5K gallon min. requirement for fire dept. have had good luck, Plastic tanks have issues UV etc. IMHO.
Good luck.

unclebilly · unclebilly's Garage

We have a 1500 gallon plastic cistern above ground in a heated shed.

Bugsinrugs · 09-02-2014, 04:26 AM

I got a quote for $4400 to supply and install a 2500 gallon tank above ground. My preference would be a below ground tank. More cost of course.

ckissick · 09-02-2014, 06:01 AM

Give these guys a call. This is the standard solution.

Vertical Polyethylene Chemical Storage Tanks - Poly Processing

Don Ro · 09-02-2014, 08:02 AM

Vertical Polyethylene Chemical Storage Tanks - Poly Processing
.
One of those tanks would be great for a cold plunge that I'd like to install next to my outside pool.
O.D.: 5'-1"
Height: 5'-9"
.
Thinking.

dad911 · 09-02-2014, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bugsinrugs

Anyone with any experience with water storage? My gallons per minute have decreased significantly .........

If it has changed, try to find the problem, something is wrong. Well tanks need service, air charge. Or perhaps pressure switch bad? What's the pressure at the tank, both when it turns on and off?

GWN7 · 09-02-2014, 04:12 PM

I hauled and helped install a big one of these at a buddies cottage a couple years ago. It was installed under his cottage (which he was using as his home). He insulated and put a heater in the space where the tank was installed. He has summer water which was turned off at the end of October. The tank became his winter supply to flush and shower. He had bottled water for coffee and teeth.

Evans, Marv · 09-02-2014, 04:15 PM

In rural areas of SoCal, new construction on properties with wells require a 10K water tank with a 4 in. line to a fire hydrant. If your well output has decreased significantly, there is a reason which could be a number of things. How old is your well pump? Is your pressure pump and tank doing their jobs? Was your well gravel sleeved? If not, the wall could have slumped in the area of the pump & is reducing flow. if your well is "basically an underground river," your problem should be mechanical rather than lack of a water source.

TimT · 09-02-2014, 05:02 PM

We have a family home in rural Vermont, sits on 300' lakefront. Our well is 200 from the waters edge...

If you look on old Topo maps of where our house is (was built in the 30's) they show seasonal streams running right past our place....

We have to watch water use if we have a crowd at the place... flushing the toilet every other time.... short showers... etc...

Which is weird since the house is on a lake (pond).

Read this thread started by my brother regarding wells, water use and storage...

Well running dry even after 2 holding tanks installed????

We are going to install a system as in post 15 to start... if that fails to remedy the problem, we will go with a storage tank as in post 5

Note that the R2D2 pressure tanks do not hold a great reserve of water...

You need to make the system such that it is recovering capacity during times when there is no demand...The way the systems work now is simultaneous.... turn on the faucet, and the system tries to meet or keep up with demand....

Be able to store a surplus of water, and slowly replenish that when there is little demand...

Bugsinrugs · 09-03-2014, 04:42 AM

Our Gpm has decreased because we are in a three year drought. My area averages around 60 inches of rain a year. Some years we have experienced 100 inches. Last winter we may have had 30 inches. The rivers underground have decreased flow. Some neighbors have seen their wells go dry.
I am lucky in that I could tie into piped city water. Although I hate the water company here and it is pricey to get a meter installed I do have an alternative. I am comparing costs.

Evans, Marv · 09-03-2014, 07:03 AM

In that case, maybe it would be worth it to yank your pump and have your well drilled deeper. That may get you more flow and provide more of a reservoir for you to draw on. We only get 10 to 12 in. of rain annually here on non drought years, and I think we'd wash away if we got as much as you get in your drought condition. I live on a slope with a granitic bedrock base. My well was drilled down 500 ft. and was rated at 40 gpm. The water table comes up to 100 ft. below ground level, so that provides somewhat of a reservoir. If everything goes south in the future, you will still have your city hookup as a back up. There is an area where we live that has a water system (authority ?) that serves several hundred homes. There is a "water board" and they are always having drama, political hassles, discovered uranium in the source, and need to raise rates to cover upgrades. I don't have the option of getting water from them & wouldn't even if I had the option.

Bugsinrugs · 09-05-2014, 12:44 PM

I really do not want to get involved with another municipality. The big if is cost. After calling the local water company they quoted me at least 11,000 dollars just to hook up a meter and back flow device on my well. That does not include getting the water to the house. Probably with trenching and supplies another grand or two. Makes 4400 look better and better.