What’s Available in Portable Water Tanks and Associated Equipment

Portable water tanks are the substitute for hydrant systems in rural and some suburban areas without pressurized water hydrants. Responding to fire department needs and requests, portable water tank manufacturers have developed a variety of products crafted with features that departments have come to rely on for water transfer and supply.

Jay Claeys, president of Husky Portable Containment, says Husky makes a number of portable water tank models, with its core product being square folding frame tanks. “We make them in sizes from 500 gallons to 5,0 gallons, but the most popular sizes are in the 2,100- to 3,000-gallon range,” Claeys notes. “We make the tanks with either steel or aluminum frames, with aluminum frames having radiused corn ers to prevent abrasion of the ropes and making up about 80% of sales.”

Claeys says that Husky offers three types of tank liners, with the standard version having 22-ounce vinyl sidewalls and a 28-ounce vinyl floor; a heavier model that has 30-ounce sidewalls and floor; and an Ultimate liner made of Exlon™, a 22-ounce-per-square-yard material. “Our patent pending manufacturing process allows us to use one continuous piece of material for the side panel, which is then welded to our Husky_®-Duty floor material,” he points out. “We also install solid brass grommets in a tight pattern that alleviates any liner drooping at the frame.”

1 A Husky Portable Containment square folding frame water tank is being used by the Horicon (NY) Volunteer Fire Department. (Photos 1-2 courtesy of Husky Portable Containment.)

2 The quick dump gate on the side of this Husky tank allows the tank to be drained in 30 seconds.

3 A tanker dumps into one of two FOL-DA-TANK single-lane tanks. (Photos 3-4 courtesy of FOL-DA-TANK.)

4 The FOL-DA-TANK in the foreground is outfitted with a low-level strainer.

Husky’s folding water tanks include patented Easy Lift Handles, Claeys says, which are grab handles welded to the floor of the tank in a zigzag fashion and also a Quick-Release dump gate on the side of the tank, where releasing two D rings and a flip latch allows the tank to drain in under 30 seconds.

Claeys says Husky also makes a Skinny Tank™ between 8 and 9 feet wide and 14 to 17 feet long that is often used on a two-lane road with a ditch on either side so it can be set up in one lane for drafting and leave the second lane open for traffic as well as Leading Edge Tanks®, 1,500- to 3,500-gallon units that range from 10 feet 3 inches square to 14 feet 3 inches square with additional hinges that allow each tank to fold to 8 feet wide and its respective length. All Husky portable water tanks can be fitted with a drafting flange kit flange that bolts to the frame with a male connection inside the tank for a low-level strainer and a female fitting outside the tank for a hard suction.

Husky also makes Helicopter Tanks in 72- and 134-gallon models that are 40-ounce reinforced PVC, Aluminum Quick Assemble AQUA tanks from 100 to 3,000 gallons that snap together quickly and fit in a bag for compact storage and SelfSupporting water tanks, commonly called onion or pumpkin tanks, that are often used in wildland firefighting for dipping and snorkeling by helicopters or used as dump tanks in water shuttle operations.

Keith Niebur, chief operating officer at FOL-DA-TANK®, says his company’s most popular model is a square folding frame tank that’s available in sizes holding from 600 gallons to 5,000 gallons. “We also make custom size portable tanks to fit in specific areas where they are designed to be stored on a truck, like a compartment at the rear of the vehicle,” Niebur observes. “But, the majority of departments opt for portable tanks that are stored in manual or Zico® portable tank racks.”

5 Firefighters using two Syntex Industries square portable water tanks during a training exercise. (Photos 5-6 courtesy of Syntex Industries.)

Niebur says departments have the choice of aluminum or steel frames but that aluminum is the most popular because of its weight advantage and corrosion resistance. “We offer three liner choices for our tanks,” he says, “22-ounce vinyl, 28-ounce vinyl, or 22-ounce high performance rubber (HPR), which is easier to fold in cold weather.”

FOL-DA-TANK also makes two types of Single Lane Tanks® (SLT) in three sizes of 2,000-, 2,500-, and 3,000-gallon capacities. “The SLT is a must for narrow rural roads that have little or no shoulder,” Niebur notes. “FOLD-DA-TANK also makes the SLT Max™, which is a narrow-footprint single-lane tank with an expandable bladder that, when folded, still fits in a manual or Zico tank rack.

6 Three Syntex portable water tanks are being used during this structure fire.

The company’s ROL-LA-TANK® TYPE 1 X is a lightweight tank that can be assembled by one person and is designed to provide temporary storage of liquids in remote areas, while the company’s Quick Assemble Double High Tank_® can be transported by helicopter or truck into remote areas.

Niebur notes that popular accessories used on portable water tanks include supply line holders; low-level strainers; a flange- mount plate and inner/outer flange kit; and a Float Dock® Strainer that allows firefighters to use water in farm ponds or streams, both shallow and deep, by working below scum and debris but above sand and muck.

Craig Heider, president and owner of Syntex Industries, notes that Syntex’s standard square portable tank is its most popular model, especially in 2,100-, 2,500-, and 3,000-gallon sizes. “The majority of them are ordered with 1-inch square aluminum tubing frames with a 22-ounce liner, grab handles on the floor, a discharge chute, and pinchless safety hinges,” Heider points out.

He says that all of Syntex’s vinyl seams are electronically welded, not sewn, to provide a strong, watertight seam with great strength and durability, and that the material has been tested to withstand temperatures from 178°F to -40°F. Heider adds, “The three grab handles that aid in the draining process are standard on all our tanks and are made from the same heavy duty vinyl and glued to the water tank.”

Heider says that Syntex also specializes in custom sizes and designs, including slim tanks, oblong tanks, and other customized shapes. “We have made portable tanks with two discharge chutes and even some with four discharge chutes, one in each corner of the tank,” he notes.

related content

• Portable Water Tanks for Fire Apparatus
• Self Supporting Frameless Portable Water Tanks
• Dump Valve and Intake Options for Tankers and Pumper-Tankers
• Drafting Still a Necessary Element on Firegrounds for Many Departments

ALAN M. PETRILLO is a Tucson, Arizona- based journalist, the author of three novels and five nonfiction books, and a member of the Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment Editorial Advisory Board. He served 22 years with the Verdoy (NY) Fire Department, including in the position of chief.

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