What is the concept of water tank?

Container for storing water

Water tank used in municipal water treatment plant in Houston, Texas Water tank from 1876 in Hanover, Germany

A water tank is a container for storing water, for many applications, drinking water, irrigation, fire suppression, farming, both for plants and livestock, chemical manufacturing, food preparation as well as many other uses. Water tank parameters include the general design of the tank, and choice of construction materials, linings. Various materials are used for making a water tank: plastics (polyethylene, polypropylene), fiberglass, concrete, stone, steel (welded or bolted,[citation needed] carbon, or stainless). Earthen pots, such as matki used in South Asia, can also be used for water storage. Water tanks are an efficient way to help developing countries to store clean water.[1]

History

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Stone water tank in a castle courtyard, Saxony, Germany

Throughout history, wood, ceramic and stone tanks have been used as water tanks. These containers were all naturally occurring and some man made and a few of these tanks are still in service. The Indus Valley civilization (3000–1500 BC) made use of granaries and water tanks. Medieval castles needed water tanks for the defenders to withstand a siege. A wooden water tank found at the Año Nuevo State Reserve (California) was restored to functionality after being found completely overgrown with ivy. It had been built in 1884.[2]

Types

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Chemical contact tank of FDA and NSF polyethylene construction, allows for retention time for chemical treatment chemicals to "contact" (chemically treat) with product water.

The taanka is used in Rajasthan as a traditional form of rainwater harvesting

Ground water tank, made of lined carbon steel, may receive water from a water well or from surface water, allowing a large volume of water to be placed in inventory and used during peak demand cycles.

An elevated water tank, also known as a water tower, will create a pressure at the ground-level outlet of 1 kPa per 10.2 centimetres (4.0 in) or 1 psi per 2.31 feet (0.70 m) of elevation. Thus a tank elevated to 20 metres creates about 200 kPa and a tank elevated to 70 feet creates about 30 psi of discharge pressure, sufficient for most domestic and industrial requirements.

Vertical cylindrical dome top tanks may hold from 200 litres or fifty gallons to several million gallons. Horizontal cylindrical tanks are typically used for transport because their low-profile creates a low center of gravity helping to maintain equilibrium for the transport vehicle, trailer or truck.

A Hydro-pneumatic tank is typically a horizontal pressurized storage tank. Pressurizing this reservoir of water creates a surge free delivery of stored water into the distribution system.

Glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) tanks/vessels are used to store liquids underground.[citation needed]

Design

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Water tank in Seoul, Korea

By design a water tank or container should do no harm to the water. Water is susceptible to a number of ambient negative influences, including bacteria, viruses, algae, changes in pH, accumulation of minerals, and accumulated gas. The contamination can come from a variety of origins including piping, tank construction materials, animal and bird feces, mineral and gas intrusion. A correctly designed water tank works to address and mitigate these negative effects. It is desirable that water tanks be cleaned annually to reduce delivery of algae, bacteria and viruses to people or animals.[citation needed]

A safety based news article linked copper poisoning as originating from a plastic tank. The article indicated that rainwater was collected and stored in a plastic tank and that the tank did nothing to mitigate the low pH. The water was then brought into homes with copper piping, the copper was released by the high acid rainwater and caused poisoning in humans.[citation needed] Since the plastic tank is an inert container, it has no effect on the incoming water. Good practice would be to analyze any water source periodically and treat accordingly, in this case, the collected acid rain should be analyzed, and pH adjusted before being brought into a domestic water supply system.

The release of copper due to acidic water may be monitored by a variety of technology, beginning with pH strips and going to more sophisticated pH monitors, indicate pH which when acidic or caustic, some with output communication capabilities. Most of the algae growth occurs at an optimum pH,  between 8.2 - 8.7. pH level that is neutral or lower can help to reduce the growth of algae. Potential algaecide, shock product will help to clean swimming pools or water tanks from algae. In this process no need to use vacuum cleaner to remove algae.[citation needed] There is no causative link between the plastic tank and copper poisoning, a solution to the problem is to monitor stored rainwater with pH indicators and add appropriate treatment materials.

Advances in Water Tank Inspection Technologies

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Recent advancements in water tank inspection and maintenance have significantly enhanced system safety and longevity. Key among these technologies are remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and thermal imaging, which have become instrumental in early detection of potential issues.

ROVs offer a non-intrusive means to inspect water tanks, allowing for detailed examination without direct human entry, thereby increasing operational safety and efficiency.[3] Thermal imaging, on the other hand, is particularly effective in low-visibility and harsh environments, as it facilitates the identification of temperature anomalies that may indicate leaks, weaknesses, or other faults within the tank structure. This application of thermal imaging in structural health monitoring has been substantiated in recent studies,[4][5]. Together, these technologies enable comprehensive diagnostics that surpass traditional inspection methods, ensuring water tanks meet the highest standards of reliability and regulatory compliance.

See also

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References

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water tank

For drinking, cleaning, and flushing toilets, families draw from a 500-gallon water tank in the front yard.

From The Atlantic

Next to this was a water tank and a bread oven.

From CNN

The scenes of whale-fishing will require the use of a water tank, he added.

From Variety

In 2006 this home's water tank was filled by a private contractor because area pumps were often disabled and broken pipes contaminated water with sewage.

From Huffington Post

The consumer agency said the water tank is on top of the unit toward the back.

From CNN

Three weeks later the shower house was finished, built inside a trucking trailer, complete with an accompanying water tank.

From Huffington Post

Finally, the unit has a fairly small water tank.

From The Verge

On the day she went missing, she was alone by the water tank for only a short time.

From Business Insider

The smaller oven cavity integrates a simple water tank design expanding the capability of the range to include steam cooking.

From CNET

Past the medical tent and the water tank were four open brick stalls that faced the spectacular mountains to the north.

From NPR

The water tank measures 24 feet in diameter, is two stories high and will hold 71,600 gallons.

From NPR

A 1,900-liter water tank 500,000 gallon feeds into 75 weather-making towers.

From Voice of America

We did not have any data to tell us how long the small water tank in our backpacks would suffice.

From NPR

She has three children, and has been relying on the nonpotable water tank, as well as trips to her brother's house nearby, for showering.

From ThinkProgress

Mostly she used a large flashlight to illuminate the trees, bouncing it off whatever was at hand -- a large rock nearby or her 10-gallon water tank.

From Wired

These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.