Reservoir Linings – We recently assisted an Aid Organisation in the DRC. They have been commissioned to install reservoirs for potable (drinking) water for many of the local communities.

Very poor waterproofing

These tanks were made of concrete and this one in particular was not waterproof

This was their problem- “It is above ground. The concrete surface is quite rough and irregular. It was filled and tested, and it leaked. We are hoping that an interior coating would seal it. Again, it is for potable water. A urethane product, CIM 1061, was recommended, but I have not been able to find a source in Africa. A 3M product was a possibility, but it was removed from the market by the manufacturer recently. So, we are at a loss, short of trying to ship in the CIM material, which would be very complicated and costly.”

The solution to lining the resrvoir;

I have given your project serious thought and examined the pros & cons and have concluded that under the circumstances; A liner as recommended above will be the best solution to your problem. Should there be any ground movement or movement of the structure, no matter how small, a crack/cracks could develop and even a hairline crack could manifest through the paint lining and you would be back to a leaking tank again. Cracks in the structure would not affect the liner.

You also mentioned that there was some resistance to making holes in the concrete – this would actually be easy if we used the existing apertures already present. The only difficulty would be making new holes where the current sumps are situated.

I have tried to cover as much as possible but I am free to answer any further questions from you and The Team on a conference call. Mr Dirk Walter the MD of the company I source from would also be happy to attend – His experience in this field is vast.

Installing Concrete Roof to Tank