Australia has sufficient freshwater resources, yet many industrial operations are located in remote, drier regions far from reliable water sources. Mining, agriculture, construction, and other industries face challenges in maintaining a safe and consistent water supply. Choosing the right water storage solution is critical: inadequate tanks can lead to contamination, equipment failures, and rising operational costs.
Corrosion-resistant polyethylene (PE) water storage tanks, particularly those made from PE100 HDPE, deliver performance that traditional materials cannot match. Here’s why these tanks are the preferred choice for remote industrial sites.
1. Exceptional Longevity in Harsh Conditions
These modern polyethylene water storage tanks are built tough, resisting the shocks and rough handling expected at remote work sites. PE100 HDPE construction, featuring predominantly 25 mm thick wall sections, provides exceptional structural integrity that can withstand decades of continuous operation.
The material also offers outstanding resistance to corrosion and UV degradation, which can affect tanks made from traditional materials.
PE100 HDPE tanks are fully impervious to hyper-saline water, aggressive groundwater, and other corrosive conditions throughout their entire service life. They remain stable under the wide temperature fluctuations of the outback, resisting cracking and maintaining structural integrity for years. Industry data demonstrates that PE100 HDPE exhibits long-term durability well in excess of 50 years, with widely published material performance indicating minimal degradation over many decades.
This exceptional durability means less frequent maintenance and fewer replacements are needed, significantly reducing replacement and transportation costs.
2. Lightweight Design for Rapid Deployment and Mobility
PE water storage tanks are significantly lighter, allowing them to be easily moved and installed wherever needed. This makes them particularly useful in remote locations where access to heavy machinery and labour may be limited. Modern PE water storage tank systems incorporate integrated lifting lugs, container lifters, and rated fork pockets as standard features, enabling safe and efficient handling with readily available site equipment.
PE100 HDPE water storage tanks also feature skid-mounted designs that deliver true plug-and-play functionality. This means operational tanks can be placed quickly and safely without complex installation procedures, reducing deployment time from days to hours. The in-gauge design of quality PE water storage tank systems enables simple, compliant, and cost-effective road transport, which is ideal for projects with tight site access or strict regulatory requirements.
This portability also means there is no need to abandon the water storage tanks if mining operations change locations or construction projects move to new sites. The ability to relocate water storage infrastructure as needed provides operational flexibility that fixed concrete or heavy steel installations cannot offer.
3. Cost-Effective Storage
The total cost of ownership becomes even more favourable when considering long-term operational expenses. The simplified design allows for quick inspections and routine maintenance without specialised tools or training, minimising downtime and reducing ongoing labour costs.
For businesses managing water storage across multiple sites or requiring scalable capacity, PE100 HDPE tanks offer modular design options. Storage capacity can be expanded by linking multiple tanks in series or parallel configurations, allowing operations to start with an appropriate capacity and grow as demands increase without replacing entire systems. This makes them ideal for businesses that want to save on water storage without any compromises to performance or reliability.
4. Superior Corrosion and Chemical Resistance
In areas with high humidity or saline exposure, typical tanks degrade quickly. PE water storage tanks, on the other hand, remain unaffected by environmental conditions that destroy traditional materials.
This means the tanks remain corrosion-free, maintaining structural integrity and water quality. The material is fully impervious to hyper-saline water and aggressive groundwater conditions commonly encountered in mining dewatering operations, civil construction sites, and agricultural applications in coastal or inland saline regions.
Additionally, polyethylene storage tanks are resistant to a wide range of chemicals, making them suitable for applications beyond potable water storage. Depending on specific chemical compatibility, they can be repurposed for storing suitable industrial fluids, process water, or fire suppression reserves, providing operational versatility that single-purpose tanks cannot match.
5. Outstanding Impact Resistance
It’s not just the environment that pushes water storage tanks to their limits. Remote work sites can get quite hectic, with people and machinery moving around at all times. PE water storage tanks can withstand accidental bumps, falls, and impacts from site equipment.
The engineered PE100 HDPE construction absorbs impact energy rather than cracking or denting like rigid materials. This resilience is particularly valuable during transport, installation, and operation in challenging environments where minor collisions are inevitable. This impact resistance also ensures that PE water storage tanks can be moved and repurposed more often than tanks made from traditional materials.
Operations that need to relocate water storage infrastructure seasonally or as projects progress benefit from tanks that will not be damaged by the repeated handling that would compromise alternatives.
6. Adaptable for Various Applications and Site Configurations
The lightness, corrosion resistance, and durability of PE100 HDPE mean that water storage tanks made from this material can be easily adapted and readapted to operational needs. The material’s manufacturing flexibility also means that PE water storage tanks can be ordered in a wide range of configurations and capacities; from 10,000L units for small-scale operations to 56,000L systems for major industrial applications, with scalability options for even larger requirements.
Unlike traditional tank designs, modern PE water storage tanks often come with standards-compliant access systems, including stairs meeting AS 1657:2018 specifications, flanged or customisable outlets and inlets, drainable outlet systems compatible with standard or custom piping, and screened vent systems to prevent contamination. These integrated features allow tanks to be configured precisely for specific site constraints and operational requirements.
Advanced PE water tank systems can be customised with optional access points for inspection and cleaning, colour specifications for safety or branding purposes, and integrated add-ons, including pumps, filtration systems, piping, valves, flow meters, and automated control and monitoring systems. Some configurations can even function as self-contained water tanker filling stations, complete with diesel pumps and fuel tanks, allowing vehicles to be filled quickly via built-in standpipes; ideal for large civil or construction sites managing fleet operations.
The versatility extends to water quality management as well. Customisable baffle systems and filtration options can be incorporated to enhance sediment separation, efficiently removing suspended particles from dewatering, dredging, and construction discharge water before storage or reuse.
7. Environmentally Sustainable and Standards-Compliant
Their long lifespan and lower weight also reduce the carbon emissions required to manufacture and transport them compared to equivalent-capacity steel or concrete alternatives.
High-quality tanks meet Australian Standards, including:
- AS 4020 – potable water compliance
- AS/NZS 1170 – structural actions (wind and operational loads)
- AS 4100 / AS/NZS 4600 – supporting steel framework design
Enjoy Safe and Reliable Water Supplies at Your Work Site
Whether you’re sourcing water close to the source or need it trucked in from hundreds of kilometres away, polyethylene water storage tank systems are often the smarter choice for Australian operations. Their longevity, ease of maintenance, and adaptability make them a natural fit for businesses across Australia’s diverse geographic landscapes.
- Potable water storage
- Fire suppression reserves
- Emergency and contingency supplies
- Irrigation and process water
- In-pit mine dewatering
- Temporary civil construction storage
For water storage tanks engineered, assessed, and independently third-party verified, including RPEQ certification, and backed by comprehensive warranties on materials and workmanship, contact Liquimech; a liquid management industry specialist that understands the unique challenges of Australian operating environments. Get in touch today for your water storage tank solutions.
