Underground Rainwater Storage

Green Tank ExcavationMore urban customers are inquiring about underground storage for rainwater catchment systems. With limited space in a typical city backyard and the desire to keep what little space there is unobstructed by large cisterns, buried tanks are the solution.

underground tankThe decision to choose underground storage comes with added costs.

Below grade cisterns require considerations and costs that are not typical with above ground storage. Structural requirements, added excavation, and drainage are factors in costs. The costs of engineering and materials add to the manufacturing costs of below grade cisterns. Added labor, such as excavation, more than likely will include the need to export soil off the site and the import of drain rock. Buried tanks require cement hold-downs and proper drainage of tank placement to eliminate possible floatation of the tank when water levels in the tank are low and ground water levels are high. Below grade cisterns can be 2 to 2.5 times more expensive than above ground to design, purchase and install properly.

Buried tanksExperience in below grade cistern design and installation is the key factor in the success and costs of the project. Understanding the added costs before hand will help ease sticker shock.

 

Ken Blair
A rainwater collection systems designer and consultant, Ken has designed and installed residential and commercial systems, primarily in the northwest United States for more than 10 years and, in 2014, began consulting and managing builds in other states. Ken is an accredited ARCSA Professional Designer / Installer and Life Member, the Northwest Regional ARCSA representative and advisor to its education committee and is available to speak about Rainwater Collection Systems design and builds.

Ken is a United States Navy veteran, having served on active duty during the Vietnam War era.

A career entrepreneur, Ken created a new business focus with a commercial dive company in Hawaii in the mid 1980′s to respond to and clean up oil spills, oil spill equipment training, service and maintenance for the oil co-op service industry. Ken is passionate about having a positive impact on the environment and is also a founding director of BANK-ON-RAIN (2011-2014), whose mission is to create grassroots solutions for rainwater collection for consumption and agriculture in developing areas of the planet.

2 thoughts on “Underground Rainwater Storage”

  1. That is cool that you can create an in the ground water tank. That is nice that have a underground tank can help eliminate possible floatation. I like that in ground water tanks are out of sight and not easily visible.

  2. I live in a desert area, so I’ve been thinking of getting underground water tanks. Thanks for pointing out that I’ll want to hire someone that is experienced, as it will help my project be more successful. Do you have any tips for hiring a contractor to help me?

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