A simple solution to a difficult problem

Dairy farmers are turning to an innovative, prefabricated tank system, designed and manufactured in Tauranga, for a quick, efficient and long-term solution to their effluent holding problems.
Graham Cave, managing director of Kliptank, said almost as many of the clip-together, large volume storage tanks are being used for effluent as for water storage.
"Because the tanks are quick to assemble they provide a ready solution to the problems of effluent storage. From the time consents are issued (taking around 20 days) a tank can be in place and operational in about 10 days."
Graham said the tanks were proving particularly suitable for locations with high water tables as they do not require excavation for concrete foundations. The tanks are however, considered a permanent structure for consent purposes.
The tanks can also be re-located relatively easily if necessary although a consent to do so would be required, and installation in even the most difficult sites is generally not a problem.
That's because the tanks, which range in size from 67,000 litres to 2,500,000 litres, are pre-fabricated and flat packed making them easy to transport.
Once on site the tanks are assembled from panels of high density plastic clipped together with extruded plastic fittings, fitted to a circular base. The walls are held together externally by bands of steel wire strategically placed and tensioned to take the loading, depending on whether the tank contains water, wine, effluent or even molasses.
The HDPE liner is secured from the top rim and trusses support the fabric roof held in place by flexible ties allowing for ease of inspection.
Plumbing fittings of almost any kind can be fitted to the tanks to draw off water or pump out solids.
Kliptanks, designed by Tauranga inventor and entrepreneur Neil Peterken, had their first public 'outing' at the 2010 Fieldays which Graham said was an ideal venue to gain market reaction and feedback.
"Visitors to the Fieldays had the chance to compare our product with other tank companies and we received some pretty valuable feedback, as well as several follow-up sales."
Kliptanks are now in use on rural properties throughout the country from Ngatea to Otautau (halfway between Invercargill and Te Anau).
Because of their design, the tanks have the potential to be used as part of a system to produce methane gas from stored effluent which in turn could be used as an alternative energy source and Graham expects farmers will follow overseas trends in turning their cowshed waste into another valuable resource.
The tanks are also widely used for domestic and animal water supplies either for rainwater gathered from roofs or water from bores or rivers.
The company, which began in Tauranga earlier this year, is continuing to grow with three new staff hired recently.
"Tauranga is the ideal location for our manufacturing base, because it is central and because it is close to the Port of Tauranga. We are already investigating the export opportunities for Kliptanks and are doing market research in Australia," said Graham.
Kliptanks represent the clever combination of existing technologies and components into a completely new design which Graham said offers "a simple solution to a lot of complicated issues", especially those involving difficult to access locations and the need for quick, reliable and durable above-ground storage.
Check out the website on www.kliptank.com