In most parts of Kenya, water arrives in bursts. The rains come hard for a few weeks, the borehole runs for a few hours, or the piped supply flows on some days and not others. A water storage tank is simply the bridge between those bursts and your daily need. Get the bridge right and you barely think about water again. Get it wrong and you spend the dry months rationing, or you pay for a tank far bigger than your roof or pump can ever fill.
Choosing a tank is not really about brand loyalty or the biggest number on the label. It is about matching capacity to a demand you can defend, choosing a material that suits where the tank will sit, and setting it up so the water inside stays clean. Those three decisions, capacity, material and hygiene, are what this guide walks through.
We stock and advise on tanks across all four of our branches, in Eldoret, Nakuru, Nairobi and at the Coast, so the points below come from what farmers, homeowners and institutions actually ask us at the counter.
Start With Demand, Not With the Tank
The correct order is to work out how much water you use in a day, decide how many days of buffer you want, then buy the tank that covers it. Buying first and hoping it fits is how people end up disappointed.
Three demand streams matter on most Kenyan properties:
- Household use. Cooking, washing, bathing and general cleaning. A modest rural home uses far less per person than a town house with flush toilets and a shower.
- Livestock. A single dairy cow can drink a large share of a household's daily total on a hot day, and lactating cows drink more. Poultry, goats and pigs each add their own steady demand.
- Irrigation. This is the big and variable one. Drip irrigating a kitchen garden is light. Sprinklers over a larger plot can empty a tank in a single session.
Add those streams, then multiply by the number of days you want to be covered when supply stops. Two to three days of buffer is a common target for a home. Farms that depend on a borehole running on a timer, or on tanker deliveries, often plan for a week or more.
Plastic Tanks: The Default for Good Reason
The polyethylene tank, the familiar moulded plastic tank you see on stands across the country, is the default choice for most homes and farms, and rightly so. It is affordable, light enough to position by hand in smaller sizes, does not rust, and comes in a wide range of capacities from small kitchen tanks up to large communal sizes.
Good plastic tanks are UV stabilised so the Kenyan sun does not make them brittle over the years. Many carry food grade and standards markings. When we advise customers, we steer them toward reputable, clearly marked tanks rather than the cheapest unmarked option, because a thin wall that cracks in three years is no saving at all.
The main limits of plastic are exposure and shape. Left in full sun without shade or paint over a very long life, cheaper tanks age faster, and a tall narrow tank on a poorly built base can be knocked or can lean. Neither is a reason to avoid plastic, they are reasons to site and support it well, which we cover further down.
Steel Tanks: When Strength and Scale Matter
Steel tanks, whether pressed panel or coated sheet, come into their own at larger volumes and in demanding settings. Institutions, larger farms, water projects and commercial premises often choose steel because it holds very large capacities in a strong structure and stands up to knocks that would trouble a plastic tank.
The trade-offs are cost and corrosion. Steel costs more up front and demands proper protection, galvanising or a good coating, to resist rust over time, especially in the humid, salty air along the Coast. A well specified steel tank lasts a long time. A poorly protected one bleeds rust into your water and eats itself from the inside.
For a typical household, steel is usually more tank than needed. For a school, a dairy at scale, or a group water scheme, it is often the sensible answer.
Underground Tanks: Hidden Capacity and Cool Water
Underground tanks, whether a purpose built plastic underground unit or a lined masonry or ferrocement reservoir, solve problems the other two cannot. They free up surface space, they are hidden from view and from the sun, and the earth around them keeps the water cooler and shaded from algae growth.
They are a strong fit where you harvest a lot of rainwater and have nowhere to put a large surface tank, or where you simply want the storage out of sight. The catch is that water in an underground tank has to be pumped up to be used, so you take on a pump and its running cost, and installation is a bigger civil job than standing a tank on a base. Access for cleaning also has to be planned from the start.
If an underground tank is on your shortlist, plan the pump at the same time. Our companion guide on choosing a water pump in Kenya walks through matching a pump to lift and flow so the two work together.
Siting the Tank: Base, Height and Access
Where and how you place a tank matters as much as which tank you buy. A full tank is heavy, and that weight has to sit on something solid and level.
- Build a proper base. A plastic tank needs a flat, smooth, fully supporting base with no stones or gaps under it. An unsupported edge is where cracks start. For a raised steel stand or a tower, the foundation has to be engineered for the loaded weight.
- Think about height and pressure. A raised tank gives you gravity fed pressure to the house, which is convenient when the pump or power is off. The higher the tank, the stronger the pressure, and the more the stand must be built to carry it safely.
- Leave room to work. You will need to reach the inlet, the outlet, the overflow and the lid for cleaning. Do not box the tank into a corner where you cannot service it.
- Shade helps. Some shade, or a light coloured tank, slows sun damage and discourages algae. Never seal a tank so tightly that pressure cannot vent, tanks need a breathing overflow.
First Flush and Keeping the Water Clean
If you harvest rainwater from a roof, the first water off that roof carries the dust, leaves, bird droppings and debris that settled since the last rain. You do not want that in your storage. A first flush diverter is a simple device that sends the initial dirty flow away before clean water is allowed into the tank.
It is a small addition that makes a real difference to the quality of stored rainwater, and it reduces the sludge that builds up at the bottom of the tank over time. Pair it with a leaf screen or mesh on the gutters and on the tank inlet, and you keep most of the trouble out before it ever reaches the water.
Basic tank hygiene is not complicated. Keep light out to limit algae, keep the lid closed and screened so insects and debris cannot enter, and empty and wash the tank on a sensible schedule so sludge does not accumulate. Water that will be used for drinking should still be treated appropriately, storage keeps water, it does not purify it.
Matching the Tank to a Pump and the Wider System
A tank rarely works alone. It is usually fed by a pump from a borehole or a lower source, and it may feed a pump for irrigation. Sizing the tank without thinking about how it fills and empties leads to mismatches, a tank the pump cannot fill in the available running hours, or an outlet too small for your irrigation flow.
When you plan storage, plan the whole path the water takes. Our water equipment range covers tanks, pumps, pipes and fittings so the parts are matched, and for irrigation and general farm setups our farm equipment section connects the tank to the tools that use the water.
Key Takeaways
- Size from honest daily demand multiplied by the buffer days you want, then round up to the next standard tank.
- Plastic suits most homes and farms, steel suits large or institutional use, and underground suits tight sites and rainwater harvesting.
- Coastal, salty air is hard on unprotected steel, so protect it well or choose plastic or underground instead.
- A level, fully supporting base and safe stand height are as important as the tank itself.
- Fit a first flush diverter and screens on harvested rainwater, and clean the tank on a schedule.
- Plan the tank, pump and pipework together so filling and draining actually match your needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size water tank do I need for my home?
Start with your honest daily use across the household, then decide how many days of buffer you want if supply stops. Daily litres multiplied by buffer days gives your minimum size, and you round up to the next standard tank. Tell us your household size, whether you keep livestock, and how you irrigate, and we will suggest a size.
Is a plastic or steel tank better?
For most homes and farms, a good UV stabilised plastic tank is the better value, it does not rust and is easy to position. Steel makes sense for very large capacities and institutional use where its strength and scale are worth the higher cost and the corrosion protection it needs.
Do I really need a first flush diverter?
If you harvest rainwater from a roof, yes, it is well worth it. The first flow off the roof carries dust, leaves and droppings. Diverting that dirty first water keeps your stored water cleaner and cuts down the sludge that settles in the tank over time.
How often should I clean my water tank?
Clean it periodically, draining and washing out the sludge that gathers at the bottom, with the interval depending on how much debris enters and how the tank is used. Keeping the lid closed, screening the inlet and overflow, and fitting a first flush diverter all reduce how often a deep clean is needed.
Can I get a tank and pump together from Fuga Equipment?
Yes. We stock tanks, pumps, pipes and fittings so the system is matched rather than pieced together from mismatched parts. Visit any of our branches in Eldoret, Nakuru, Nairobi or at the Coast, or message us on WhatsApp with your situation. Prices change, so confirm the current price on WhatsApp before you plan your budget.
Water storage rewards planning. Work out your real demand, pick the material that suits your site, set the tank on a proper base, and keep the water clean going in. Do that and your tank quietly does its job for many years. Talk to our team through the contact page or on WhatsApp and we will help you size it right the first time.