Custom Water Tank Liner Solutions for Every Tank Type
We provide custom water tank liner solutions that restore leaking or aging tanks across redwood, concrete, bolted steel, and corrugated steel construction.
If your water tank or storage tank is leaking, a custom water tank liner is usually the simplest fix, whether you run a municipal water system, a rural water district, a farm, or a winery. A custom-fit liner stops the leak, protects water quality, and adds years to your tank’s life, all at a fraction of what full tank replacement would cost.
That’s why water districts, municipalities, farms, wineries, and homeowners across California and the Western US choose drop-in tank liners when their water tanks start losing water. A custom-fabricated liner gets the tank back in service quickly without the cost and downtime of tank replacement or interior coating repairs.
Precision-Engineered Water Tank Liners
Our water tank liners are precision-fabricated to match your tank’s exact dimensions, ensuring reliable fit and fast installation with minimal service disruption.
Key Features:
- Potable water loss prevention
- NSF 61 certified materials for drinking water
- Custom fabricated to tank dimensions
- Zero drying time required
- Reduces downtime during installation
- Durable, long-lasting performance
- No solvents or adhesives used
- Lower cost than full tank replacement or coating
- Rigorous inspection and testing
- Installation services available
- Competitive pricing
Our water tank liners extend the life of your tank while keeping drinking water clean and secure.
Concrete Water Tank Liners
Concrete water tanks are among the most common storage structures for municipal water systems and rural water districts. Over time, even well-built concrete tanks develop problems that compromise water quality and cause costly water loss.
Why Concrete Water Tanks Fail
Concrete tanks crack and leak for several reasons:
- Thermal expansion and contraction: Temperature swings cause the concrete to expand and contract, opening hairline cracks that worsen over time.
- Ground movement and settling: Seismic activity and soil shifts, common throughout California, put stress on tank walls and floor joints.
- Joint and seam failure: Construction joints between poured sections are inherently weak points that deteriorate with age.
- Aging and carbonation: Over decades, concrete loses its alkalinity and becomes more porous, allowing water to seep through the walls.
Patching and sealing compounds offer a temporary fix, but they cannot address widespread cracking or degraded joints. Interior coatings require extensive surface preparation and drying time, and they eventually peel and flake.
Why This Matters
A leaking concrete water tank isn’t just a maintenance headache, it’s a slow drain on your operating budget, your water supply, and your compliance standing. Even a few gallons per minute adds up to thousands of dollars in lost water every year, and in drought-prone regions like California, that loss is felt at every level, from rate payers to state regulators tracking non-revenue water.
For municipal water systems and rural water districts, the stakes go beyond cost. Cracks and porous walls let groundwater, soil contaminants, and bacteria seep into the storage tank, putting drinking water quality at risk. State and federal regulations under the Safe Drinking Water Act require water systems to maintain storage that meets NSF/ANSI Standard 61, and a failing concrete tank can quickly fall out of compliance.
Replacing a concrete water tank is a major capital project, often costing six or seven figures and taking months to complete, with the tank out of service the entire time. A custom-fabricated drop-in liner solves the same problem at a fraction of the cost and gets the tank back online in days, not months. For aging water infrastructure across California and the Western US, that’s the difference between deferring a problem and actually fixing it.
How a Drop-In Tank Liner Solves Concrete Tank Leaks
A custom-fabricated drop-in liner provides concrete water tank leak solutions that work regardless of how many cracks or joints have failed. Carson Liners fabricates each concrete tank liner from reinforced polypropylene (RPP) or chlorosulfonated polyethylene (CSPE) using welding techniques that create clean, precise seams with no folds, no wrinkles, and no gaps where bacteria can collect.
The liner is built to your tank’s exact interior dimensions, including penetrations for inlet pipes, outlet pipes, overflow connections, and access hatches. Once installed, the liner creates a completely independent barrier between the water and the concrete structure, eliminating leaks immediately with zero drying time.
For municipal and rural water district applications, our concrete tank liner materials meet NSF/ANSI Standard 61 for drinking water system components, ensuring the water remains safe for public consumption.
Redwood Water Tank Liners
Redwood water tanks have served California communities, farms, and wineries for more than a century, and many of those tanks are still in service today. But when a redwood tank starts losing water, the consequences move fast: irrigation goes down at the worst possible time, fire suppression reserves drop below code, and replacing the tank can run tens of thousands of dollars on a structure most owners would rather preserve. A custom redwood tank liner lets you keep the tank you have, even when the wood itself is past saving.
Common Redwood Tank Problems
- Stave shrinkage: When a redwood tank sits empty or water levels drop significantly, the staves dry out and shrink. Gaps open between staves, and the tank can no longer hold water reliably.
- Hoop loosening: As staves shrink, the steel hoops that hold them together lose tension. Loose hoops allow further stave separation and structural instability.
- Rot and decay: Despite redwood’s natural resistance, the areas near the waterline and around the base are susceptible to moisture damage, especially after 30 to 50 years of service.
- Checking and splitting: UV exposure and wet-dry cycles cause the wood to check (crack along the grain), creating pathways for water loss.
Replacing a redwood tank is expensive, often prohibitively so for rural water agencies and homeowners. A custom water tank liner provides a far more cost-effective solution.
Carson’s Approach to Redwood Tank Liners
We custom-fabricate redwood tank liners from RPP or CSPE material to fit the exact interior profile of your tank, including its taper, diameter, and height. The liner drops into the tank and creates a watertight barrier independent of the wood structure. This means:
- The tank does not need to be dismantled or rebuilt
- Shrunken staves and loose hoops do not affect the liner’s seal
- The tank’s exterior appearance is preserved
- Installation is typically completed in one to two days
For properties in California wine country and throughout the rural West, this approach extends the life of a redwood tank by 20 or more years at a fraction of the replacement cost. Learn more about how water tank liners solve common tank issues.
Steel Water Tank Liners
Bolted steel and corrugated steel tanks are widely used for potable water storage, fire suppression reserves, and agricultural irrigation. They’re built fast and they’re built strong, but corrosion is the long-term threat, and the consequences of ignoring it add up quickly. A leaking steel tank can fail a fire flow inspection, contaminate drinking water with rust and trace metals, drain irrigation reserves during peak season, and eventually compromise the tank’s structural integrity. Recoating buys time, but it doesn’t stop the underlying problem. A custom steel water tank liner does.
Why Steel Water Tanks Corrode and Leak
- Interior surface corrosion: Constant contact with water, especially treated water containing chlorine or chloramine, gradually corrodes unprotected steel surfaces.
- Bolt-hole seepage: Bolted steel tanks have hundreds of connection points where bolts pass through overlapping panels. Each bolt hole is a potential leak path as gaskets age and corrosion develops around fastener points.
- Weld and seam deterioration: Welded steel tanks can develop corrosion along seam lines, particularly in tanks exposed to coastal humidity or aggressive water chemistry.
- Condensation damage: The area above the waterline, where condensation collects on exposed steel, often corrodes faster than the submerged portion.
Interior coatings and epoxy systems are commonly applied to steel tanks, but they require sandblasting, lengthy cure times, and periodic reapplication. If the coating fails in one area, corrosion resumes beneath it.
The Steel Water Tank Liner Advantage
A custom drop-in steel water tank liner eliminates the corrosion cycle entirely. Carson Liners fabricates each liner to match the tank’s exact geometry, whether it is a round bolted tank, a rectangular welded tank, or a corrugated panel design.
Our steel tank liners are made from reinforced polypropylene (RPP) or chlorosulfonated polyethylene (CSPE), both of which are chemically inert and unaffected by chlorinated water. Key benefits include:
- Complete corrosion barrier, the water never contacts the steel
- No sandblasting or surface preparation required
- Accommodates all pipe penetrations, manways, and overflow fittings
- NSF 61 certified potable water tank liner for safe drinking water applications
- No curing or drying time, the tank returns to service the same day
For a deeper look at how liners compare to other repair options, see our guide on deciding between tank repair and replacement.
Request a Quote
Choose one of the forms below and provide your project details. We’ll respond promptly with a free quote and recommendations tailored to your needs.
Specifications and Additional Options
- View water tank liner material specifications
- Explore geomembrane liners for large-scale containment
- See plating and containment liners for secondary containment solutions
Why Choose Carson for Water Tank Liners
We operate as a family-owned, certified small business specializing in water tank liner, storage tank liner, and geomembrane fabrication and installation. Our team trains in CAL-OSHA’s Confined Space and Fall Protection Standards, and maintains certification in HDPE and reinforced seam materials. We fabricate and install to ANSI and AWWA specifications, including:
- ANSI/AWWA D130: Geomembrane Materials for Potable Water
- ANSI/AWWA C652: Disinfection of Water-Storage Facilities
- AWWA M25: Flexible Membrane Covers and Linings
- NSF/ANSI Standard 61: Drinking Water System Components
For additional information about water industry standards and best practices, visit the American Water Works Association for comprehensive technical resources.
Water Tank Liner FAQ
How long does a water tank liner last?
A properly installed water tank liner made from reinforced polypropylene (RPP) or chlorosulfonated polyethylene (CSPE) typically lasts 20 years or more. Lifespan depends on the material selected, water chemistry, UV exposure (for open-top tanks), and whether the liner is professionally installed. Carson Liners uses factory-welded seams rather than field-applied adhesives, which eliminates one of the most common failure points in tank liner systems. Read more about why quality fabrication matters in liner manufacturing.
Is the liner safe for drinking water?
Yes. Carson Liners uses materials certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 61, the national standard for materials that contact drinking water. This certification means the liner will not leach harmful chemicals into your water supply. For municipalities and water districts that must comply with state and federal drinking water regulations, NSF 61 certification is a requirement, not an option.
How much does a water tank liner cost?
The cost of a water tank liner depends on the tank’s dimensions, shape, material selected, number of penetrations (pipes, outlets, manways), and whether you need installation services. As a general rule, a custom drop-in liner costs a fraction of full tank replacement and requires significantly less downtime. Contact us at 800-423-2380 or sales@carsonliners.com for a free quote based on your specific tank.
How long does installation take?
Most water tank liner installations are completed in one to three days, depending on the tank size and complexity. Because our liners are pre-fabricated to your tank’s dimensions in our facility, onsite work focuses on placement, securing, and connecting pipe penetrations, not fabrication. There is no curing or drying time, so your tank can return to service the same day the installation is complete.
Can you line a tank that is currently leaking?
Yes. In fact, that is the most common reason customers contact us. A custom drop-in tank liner works whether your tank has hairline cracks, failed joints, corroded walls, or structural seepage. The liner creates an independent barrier inside the tank, so the condition of the original tank walls does not affect the liner’s performance. If you are dealing with an active leak, see our blog post on leaky water tank repair options for more information.
Tank Liner Installation and Fabrication: Service Area
Carson Liners is based in California and has been serving water districts, municipalities, farms, wineries, and industrial facilities for more than 45 years. If you are searching for a tank liner near me, water tank liners near me, or local installation, here is how we can help regardless of your location:
California (Primary Service Area)
We provide full fabrication and onsite installation services throughout California, from San Diego County to the North Bay. Our team has completed projects for municipal water districts, rural water agencies, agricultural operations, and private property owners across the state.
Western United States
Our fabrication and installation services extend throughout the Western US, including Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, and Hawaii. We have installed tank liners in locations ranging from high-desert water systems to coastal facilities.
Nationwide Fabrication and Shipping
For customers outside our primary installation territory, we custom-fabricate tank liners at our facility and ship them directly to your site. Each liner arrives ready to install with detailed instructions for your crew, or we can coordinate with a local installation team. Contact us at 800-423-2380 to discuss your project.
What Our Customers Say
“Hypalon material had been specified in the job material requirements but after conferring with Carson personnel, it was determined that reinforced polypro was far superior and had a far better warranty. Carson provided the liner and installation services. The tank is fully serviceable and functioning without any leaks.“