112 | nzdairy DAIRY SERVICES » Kliptank Tauranga Bulk liquid storage solution company KlipTank has been working alongside farmers to help them with their water and ef uent storage requirements. Karen Phelps With water restrictions and summer droughts becoming an increasingly common part of farming, water security is vital. Environmental regulations are also prompting farmers to seek smarter alternatives for their ef uent storage. Innovative local bulk liquid storage solution company KlipTank has been working alongside farmers to help them with their water and ef uent storage requirements. The KlipTank product is unique in that it is atpack and modular, says KlipTank business development manager Fiona Birchall. That means it’s easier to transport to farms and quicker and cheaper to install. It’s also simple to decommission and store if the need ever arises. Made from high-density polyethylene panels strengthened by galvanised wire ropes, KlipTank doesn’t require a concrete pad foundation, just a sand base. This means simple site preparation only is required. It is also the only tank that can sit on peat soils. The product is engineered for seismic activity for extra security. “Our ef uent storage tanks and stirring solutions help keep farmers compliant 365 days of the year. Above ground tanks are easy to install, safe, look great and an environmentally future proof alternative to traditional in ground storage,” says Fiona Birchall. A project for Otakiri farmers Bernard and Linda Virbickas is a good example. They wanted to add a feed pad to their large herd operation that is sharemilked by their daughter Bridie. They tied the project in with an ef uent system upgrade so that they could ood wash the feedpad with greenwater. Precise DE did the accredited design and put together a high-end system including a large drive-in sand trap, large concrete sump with a 7.5kW agitator, a GEA slope screen and solids bunker, and a 4.2 million-litre KlipTank with Klipjet stirrers. All the concrete work was completed by Archway Group, and all the pumps and electrical were installed by Think Water Bay of Plenty. Instead of using header tanks like traditional oodwash systems, they installed a GEA system which uses a 22kW Grundfos pump to draw the greenwater directly out of the KlipTank and onto the feedpad on demand either by automatic timer or manual override. The Virbickases chose a KlipTank because of soft soils and high water table issues, which made a pond exceedingly dif cult. The added bene t of above ground storage is that all the pumps are ooded suction and do not require priming. “The same pump that runs the ood wash also powers the Klipjet Stirring and Aeration System inside the KlipTank. Farmers now seeking smarter alternatives This is designed to use air bubbles to blast the sludge layer off the bottom and bring the ne solids particles into suspension just prior to irrigation, preventing a long term build-up of sludge,” explains Fiona. With over 400 tanks on dairy farms all over New Zealand, KlipTank are a recognised and trusted solution for ef uent storage, says Fiona. KlipTank also acts as a go between with the farm owner and their other advisors to ensure the seamless integration of the storage tank into the ef uent design plan. KlipTank can provide both covered and uncovered solutions up to 5,632,000 litres and Fiona says that farmers are increasingly looking at how KlipTank could help them to more effectively store rain or water takes from rivers and streams to cover them when conditions become dryer to give them increased water security in their operation.
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