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Algae! Beware   

Our plastic tanks are designed for water and chemical storage containers, usually  water for human consumption. Various materials are used for constructing water tanks: plastic, polyethylene, polypropylene, fiberglass, concrete, (welded or bolted, carbon or stainless). Earthen ponds designed for water storage are also often referred to as tanks.

The need for water tanks is as old as civilized man. Water tanks provide for the storage of potable drinking water, irrigation agriculture, fire suppression, agricultural farming and livestock, chemical manufacturing, food preparation and many other water storage tank applications.

The profile of water tanks begins with the application parameters, thus the type of material used and the design of the tank was dictated by these variables:

1. Location of the water tank (indoors, outdoors, above ground or underground)

2. Volume of water (gallons) tank will need to hold

3. What the water will be used for, Utility Water or Drinking Water.

4. Temperature of area where water will be stored, concern for freezing.

5. Pressure required to deliver water to use point.

6. How is the water to be delivered to the water tank, Water Well, in bound pipeline.

7. Wind and Earthquake design considerations, allow water tanks to survive seismic events.

Vertical cylindrical dome top tanks may hold from fifty gallons to several million gallons. Horizontal cylindrical tanks are typically used for transport, this low-profile transport storage creates a low center of gravity helping to maintain equilibrium for the transport vehicle, trailer or truck. Hydro-pneumatic tanks are pressurized storage tanks. By pressurization this reservoir of pressurized water creates a surge free delivery of stored water.

There are many custom configurations that include various rectangular cube shaped tanks, cone bottom and special shapes for specific design requirements.

A functional water tank/container should do no harm to the water. Water is susceptible to a number of ambient negative influences, including bacteria, viruses, changes in and accumulation of minerals. Correctly designed water tank systems work to mitigate these negative effects.

Articles on Water Tank application and design considerations: American Water Works Association The AWWA provides specifications for a variety of water storage tank applications. The AWWA's site will provide scientific resources which will give the reader an informed perspective on which to make decisions.

NSF International writes standards, inspects and confirms that products such as air, food, consumer goods and water are suitable for human consumption.

The Food and Drug Administration approves materials for use in storing water and food materials. Consult the Code of Federal Register for more details on water tanks.

 25 years of experience storing drinking water in plastic poly tanks has resulted in 2 and a half decades of positive feed back and experience that polyethylene tanks is the way to go. Plastic polyethylene water tanks are made of linear food grade polyethylene resins; the resins and the tanks are FDA and NSF 61 approved for potable drinking water storage.  Poly tanks provide the best long term solution for maintaining the quality and life of the storage container.

We have 25 years experience in design, production and operation of water tanks and water systems. Call today and lets get started doing this right the first time...!

How does the toxin make people sick?

• Getting it on the skin can cause a rash, hives, or skin blisters (especially on the lips and under swimsuits).
• Inhaling water droplets can cause runny eyes and nose, a sore throat, asthma-like symptoms, or allergic reactions.
• Swallowing water that has toxins in it can cause abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomiting. It can also cause numb lips, tingling fingers and toes, or dizziness.

There are various types of algae, none of them are a good addition to your diet in their raw form.

Black or Dark Green Water Polyethylene Water Tanks are opaque and limit or eliminate sunlight from reaching your water. Black polyethylene plastic tanks should be used where ever possible for small drinking water storage applications to 15,000 gallons and any application where the goal is the reduction of sunlight to a stored liquid is required.

Fiberglass ASTM 3299 filament wound plastic resin impregnated fiberglass filaments inherently opaque, additional light reduction can be accomplished with gel-coated exterior coatings, available to 100,000 gallons.

 Steel is obviously opaque, Bolted steel is available to several hundred thousand gallons and Field Fabricated Steel to Millions of gallons of capacity.

Algae is present as small cells in water, they grow at various speeds but really get going with the addition of sunlight, the  sunlight sets off an accelerated photosynthesis growth in the algae cell and the algae begins to bloom/grow and multiply. Our experiments show that even drinking water with residual chlorine will begin to go green in 36 hours of exposure to sunlight. Use opaque tanks to store drinking water.

The American Water Works Association is dedicated to the development of equipment specifications and methodologies for improving drinking water in the United States, their website at http://www.awwa.org for more information on the full ramifications of algae in drinking water and how Drinking water should be treated for human consumption.

The following link is and excellent article on the problems and effects of blue green algae on people, pets and livestock. http://www.pca.state.mn.us/water/clmp-toxicalgae.html

It is very important that you do what you can to limit or eliminate the consumption of algae in your diet, via drinking water or other sources. The following are a few suggestions.

Opaque Water Storage Tanks

Chemical Treatment of the Algae in your water supply.

Filtration, multi-stage with a final reverse osmosis ultra filter to create the optimum drinking water.

Ozone and UV add a further degree of treatment.

What are algae? origin and composition, see following link. http://www.hcs.ohio-state.edu

In closing this article it is ultimately your responsibility to obtain the best drinking water for your family.

It will be our pleasure to recommend additional information on these subjects.

Black Tanks limits Algae by reducing photosynthesis.

Water Tanks, Closed Top Flat Bottom

Algae is problem for all water systems, it can be very toxic and can result in a variety of maladies, allergies and extreme illness.

Algae requires light and a food source, black plastic tanks reduce sunlight to almost nothing.

Algae is a diverse group of primarily aquatic, mostly plantlike organisms that occur in such dissimilar forms; microscopic single cells, loose, filmy conglomerations, matted or branched colonies, or giant seaweed with root - like structures resembling stems and leaves. Most of the algae have characteristics in common with plants, in that they have cell walls, contain the green pigment CHLOROPHYLL, and manufacture their own food through the process of PHOTOSYNTHESIS.

Well known algae are:

Red Tides infecting fish and making people sick.

Blue Green Algae is in many waterways and is not always toxic / poisonous, but when it is...