A Separate Second Storage Tank for Firefighting?

7/17/2024

Suppose on-site water storage for firefighting is required, and an existing tank is on-site sized for the existing building.

Can I add a second tank on site (not connected to the first tank) and just size it for the additional water required for the second building?

Ex. A larger building requires a 10,000-gallon tank, while a smaller building requires a 5,000-gallon tank. Can I just install one new 5,000-gallon tank (10,000-5,000 = 5,000 gallons)?

Or would the tanks need to be connected so there is no shortage of water?

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5 Comments

M. Newell

7/17/2024 08:10:18 am

Normally your tank is sized for the largest demand on site.

If you have 2 buildings on one site that you are trying to meet “fire flow” or NFPA 1142. It would be sized based on the worst case scenario. So if one building needed 10k gallons and the other needed 5k gallons. You would only need to provide one tank with the higher demand.

Dan Wilder

7/17/2024 08:24:37 am

The tanks need to be connected so that there is one continuous, uninterruptable water supply sized for the largest demand....there would be no nice way to pull water from one tank then the other without possibly cavitating the pump.

There may also be a pipe sizing issue with the larger demand for the existing tie-ins that need to be reviewed (larger pump, large pipe size requirements)

Another discussion concerning tying two tanks together

https://www.meyerfire.com/daily/do-multiple-tanks-add-together-for-capacity

Jack G

7/17/2024 11:34:05 am

NFPA 1 indicates the fire flow need not be added to the sprinkler demand, however, the AHJ, and pjt Engineer may have a different opinion and that is what you may have to follow.
Also, since it’s out in the boon docks, what does the Fire Department require? Ive done projects like this where they have required a 6000 gallon fire tank for their fire fighting water.( size of their pumper truck)
Saying that ,if the buildings have the required separation distance, they need only be connected to the same tank.
I’ve also had the FD require a hydrant on a new line pressurized by the pump. ( so they can draw water)
The second tank, if you install it would have to be per NFPA 22.
AHJ has the call here.

Glenn Berger

7/17/2024 01:08:47 pm

Since the comment states that the storage tanks are 5,000 gallons and 10,000 gallons in size. Tanks that are this small do not include supplemental fire fighting hose streams. And most definitely not for any realistic suppression system discharge time.

You can definitely add storage tanks that are for manual firefighting only. Coordinate these tanks with the responding fire department and other authorities having jurisdiction and interest in these properties.

Jesse

7/18/2024 07:57:39 am

No, because it needs to be a continuous and uninterruptable fire water supply. Now granted, we're talking really small tanks. For example, I have a current project with 180K gallon storage.

You tank needs to be sized for the largest demand.

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A Separate Second Storage Tank for Firefighting?

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