BRANDON – Giant flexible bladders are an option to traditional liquid storage tanks.
The first Labaronne Citaf self-supporting flexible tank was built in 1958 and still holds drinking water near its factory of origin in France.
John Wilke of Wilke Sales in Regina said if a polyester bladder can last 50 years in an open environment, then it must be good.
“That’s why we decided to import it. It’s a very high quality tank and it can hold virtually any kind of liquid.”
He said the rubbery polyester bladder is a versatile and cost-effective alternative to the various types of liquid storage tanks and lagoons commonly used in Western Canada.
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They don’t require pilings, footings or other structural support because they lay flat on the ground. However, in some situations a containment dike is required.
“The grey coloured tanks are intended for liquid fertilizer or liquid slurry, and they meet our Canadian criteria for liquid fertilizer and slurry.”
Wilke said the poly tank system is popular with European livestock producers because they aren’t allowed to have open slurry lagoons. Instead, all liquid manure must be stored in a sealed tank.
“Here in Canada, I think some municipalities are about ready to crack down on our open hog sewage lagoons,” he said.
“When that happens, producers will need to find ways to seal up their liquid slurry.”
He said the biggest Labaronne tank his company sells is 400,000 litres.
“For a 400 head sow operation, that bladder will last about four days, so that’s a viable alternative to an open lagoon.”
Although the self-supporting flexible tank concept is new to Canada, Wilke has already received a request from a bulk dealer for a one million litre bladder.
He said the yellow bladder is intended for non-corrosive liquid such as drinking water, waste water and irrigation water.
Labaronne also makes a triple thick bladder for diesel, which Wilke said is used to store fuel in Afghanistan and will likely require a concrete containment wall and floor He expects the diesel bladder to receive CSA approval soon.
The bladders are able to hold large liquid volumes because the weight is spread out uniformly on the surface of the ground. Height is not a factor.
The bladders are built with multiple layers of different types of polyester fabrics. High frequency welding ensures that all seams are sealed permanently. The poly-fabric sandwich is then treated with an ultraviolet-resistant acrylic coating
Prices for the standard yellow bladders range from $1,032 for 1,000 litres to $51,840 for 400,000 litres.
Prices for the heavy duty grey bladder range from $3,510 for 10,000 litres to $56,160 for 400,000 litres.
For more information, contact John Wilke at 306-586-6331 or visit www.labaronne-citaf.fr.
