Service tanks store treated water before distribution to end users, providing a buffer for fluctuating demand. They are often located high up or underground and have operational, equalization, and emergency storage requirements. Dead storage volumes are common but can be minimized through flow modeling.
A service tank is a water storage container that holds clean water after it has been treated in a water system and before it is piped to end users. These containers are covered and are designed to keep your water safe from contamination. Their main purpose is to provide a buffer within the water supply system so that water supplies can be maintained during periods of fluctuating demand.
Service tanks typically need to be located high enough to maintain sufficient pressure in the downstream pipe network to provide good flow to the area to be supplied and to allow water to be lifted to the top of buildings. For this reason, they are sometimes built in the form of water towers. Where water service tanks may be built on elevated ground, however, they are often located underground. A water utility tank structure is usually based on concrete or steel. There is often an internal lining to protect the water from contaminating the structure itself.
Service tank storage requirements that affect the volume required for a service tank’s water supply include operational requirements, equalization requirements, and fire or emergency requirements. Operating volume requirements are dictated by the amount of water required to maintain water flow and pressure for normal domestic and industrial use in the supplied area. The equalization requirements are calculated using the volumes of water required to fill the reservoir after the daily periods of peak demand. Fire or emergency storage volume requirements are based on estimates of the amount of water that may be required in the area under exceptional circumstances. In many areas, fire authorities and water companies work together to ensure that service tanks have sufficient emergency storage for the supplied area.
Most tanks also have a certain amount of water volume, called “dead” volume, which is the volume of water that is at the bottom of the container and which cannot practically be used due to low pressure, or due to due to dead flow zones where the water has become stagnant and of insufficient quality. Dead storage volumes are usually higher in tall service tanks. Flow modeling can be used to study the water flow that occurs in various sizes and shapes of water tanks and to help design structures that can minimize the occurrence of dead flow zones and improve the storage efficiency of the water service tank.
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