A variety of tanks are available on the market.  The size will be dictated by stock numbers and reliability of the reticulation system.  For electric pumps a three day back-up supply is recommended, for engine driven pumps 5 days and for windmills 7 to 10 days (Southorn, 1995) Tanks will normally be located to enable gravity delivery to troughs.

Various types of tanks are commercially available and include:

• steel;
• concrete;
• polyethylene; and
• fibreglass

A less common timber tank is also available on the market.  Tanks come in a wide range of sizes and can be prefabricated or constructed on site.  Timber tanks are uncommon in Australia but are an alternative to other tanks particularly for storage greater than 100,000 litres where costs are very competitive.

Polyethylene tanks have become increasingly popular due to lower cost and corrosion resistance.

Fibreglass tanks are usually more expensive than poly tanks.

Concrete tanks are generally more expensive but have a long life expectancy against corrosion and damage.

Concrete, steel and to a lesser extent timber tanks provide good fire resistance, whereas plastic tanks offer the least resistance.

Further information tanks available in Review of Water Reticulation Equipment for Rangelands pastoral Applications  Review compiled by Ralph William UniSA
(information on this page extracted from review)