You maybe have been browsing our website and no doubt came across our detention tank range. There are tanks in all shapes and sizes. But what are these tanks actually for?

Detention tanks, which are sometimes called retention tanks (though this is incorrect), are generally used when storm water system in not adequate enough to deal with the job of extracting water. The detention tanks works to slow down the rain that comes off your roofs and goes into the stormwater system, to prevent overflowing. This is generally an issue in older areas where a lot of new houses are being built and a lot of strain is being put on the stormwater system. Where this is an issue, councils often require the use of detention tanks.

What happens if you have a retention tank is instead of the water flow straight into the stormwater, it comes off the roof and other areas and into the detention tank, then drains slowing through the orifice outlet into the stormwater system. The tank and orifice will be specified to drain at a certain rate, depending on what the stormwater can handle. This can take hours depending on the flow rate. The area your building is in will have specific requirements for this.

Detention tanks can be stand alone units, but often times there are combined with a retention tank. The retention tank stores water for when you need it, in contrast to the detention tank. So how this works will be if you use a 3000 litre tank, the bottom 2000 litres will be used to store your water, and the top 1000 litres for detention.

So what do you need to look for when buying a detention tank? The first thing you’ll need to look at are the council requirements in your area for water flow. You need a tank that will meet these requirements, which will determine the size your orifice you need to select. If you are going to going to be getting a combination retention tank, then you also need to take into account how much water you need for storage. You also have the choice of above ground or below ground.

We have a wide range of detention tanks on our website in all kinds of configurations, sizes and shapes. Have a look through our range and contact us if you need assistance selecting a tank for your home!