When the managers of the Conargo Feedlot at Boonoke Station, Deniliquin sought a water storage solution for their operation in 2017, price, warranty and a quality brand were some of the important considerations.
An enterprise of Australian Food and Agriculture, Conargo Feedlot has a holding capacity for 5,000 cattle and 15,000 sheep. The feedlot on the 48,000-hectare property, therefore, required considerable water storage capacity.
Nine Rhino rural tanks from Kingspan Water & Energy with a total capacity of 2,477,556 litres were installed as part of the feedlot build with each tank having a capacity of 275,284 litres.
“Firstly it came down to price per litre because we had to put so many (tanks) in,” says Conargo Feedlot manager James Sage.
“We use eight tanks to supply the feedlot operation and the other is used to capture rainwater runoff from the sheds.
“Then there was the 20-year warranty on them. They’ve got one of the better warranties out there. We also tried to keep it as local as we could and there was a Kingspan in town so we decided to go there. We knew it was a trusted brand as lots of farmers around here have their tanks.”
While this feedlot is a sizable operation, Kingspan Rhino rural tanks can be installed for businesses of any size with tank capacities ranging from 26,000 litres up to 365,000 litres.
For farmers looking to invest in on-farm water storage, Sage recommends the Kingspan range on the basis of design and convenience. The tanks are built to last with Australian BlueScope steel, and come with an Infinity tank liner to ensure the stored water stays fresh and protected from contaminants. Each tank is installed with a reinforced food-grade five-layer polyethylene liner for long-term durability and service.
“The lining is still in great quality and there’s been no contamination. It was just so easy because it was all installed onsite. We just hooked up the water, set them in place and then filled them all the way up,” Sage added.