Above ground effluent storage tanks can be steel, plastic, or concrete.

Concrete has been considered a good building material, but can be brittle over time and needs to be placed on solid ground. Plastic above ground tanks have a thin plastic liner and often feature a wall that is only two and half metres high, which does not offer the volume needed for larger operations. If there is high rainfall, there is an option to put a cover on the above ground tank to reduce the amount of rainwater the tank catches, but generally when above ground storage is required the recommended option is a Nevada effluent bladder tank.

It’s important to assess the water table height, yearly rainfall and if your region gets earthquakes before considering which type of effluent storage system is right for your farm operations.