Can normal water tanks be buried underground?

There is sometimes some confusion as to whether standard water tanks can be buried under ground, with soil up against the sides and tops.  In most cases, the answer is no.

Standard vertical water tanks should never be totally buried unless the manufacturer specifically states that this is possible.  Most standard vertical water tanks are not designed to withstand pressure from the sides or the top – a buried water tank will have to deal with surprising amounts of pressure from earth pushing against it and downwards from the top.  Most standard water tanks will be crushed and/or be pushed out of the ground when the tank is empty.

At best, some of the stronger standard water tanks can be slightly recessed into the ground but, before doing so, check with the manufacturer (or the tanks can be fully recessed but with no soil pushing against the sides or tops of the tanks).  If standard water tanks need to be installed below ground level, they can be placed in chambers underground, i.e. with sturdy brick or reinforced walls so that there is no pressure being exerted on the actual water tank.  This set-up has its advantages – enough space can be left around the tank or tanks to enable regular maintenance visits and monitoring.

Ideally, if you want to have an underground water storage facility, robust underground water tanks specifically designed for this purpose, should be purchased (can be used as rainwater tanks too).  These underground water tanks are made to withstand enormous pressure from all sides and do not usually require any maintenance or monitoring if correctly installed.

This JoJo 6000 litre underground tank can even be buried under driveways

In South Africa, JoJo Tanks manufacture an extremely robust polyethylene 6000 litre underground water tank that can even be buried under driveways if installed according to JoJo’s recommended installation procedure (6000 litre versions of this tank are also available in as septic tanks and conservancy tanks).  Click on the links below to view the wide range of JoJo water tanks, JoJo rainwater tanks, JoJo septic tanks, JoJo chemical tanks, JoJo steel water tank stands, JoJo silo tanks and other high quality JoJo Tanks products.

JoJo Tanks South Africa offer a wide range of products such as plastic water tanks and chemical tanks to suit every household, business or agricultural need, including silo tanks and silo tank stands as well as other high quality JoJo Tanks products.  See JoJo Tanks’ VERTICAL TANKS, HORIZONTAL TANKS (transporter tanks), STEEL TANK STANDS and OTHER JOJO PRODUCTS and see JoJo Tanks’ NEW 6000 LITRE UNDERGROUND TANKS. Also see our FAQ and WATER TANK PRICES.