Water tank repair is one of the most important, and most often postponed, responsibilities for municipalities, water districts, and industrial facility owners. A welded steel water storage tank is built to serve a community for decades, but only if problems are found and fixed before they turn into structural failures, contamination risks, or costly emergency outages. Resource Development Co has spent more than 50 years building, coating, and caring for steel water storage tanks. The company works from its home base in the Reno-Sparks area to project sites throughout Nevada, California, and the Western United States. Here is what every tank owner should know about water tank repair, water tank leak repair, and protecting the long-term value of a critical asset.
Why water tank repair cannot wait
Steel water storage tanks face constant stress. Interior surfaces sit in contact with treated water around the clock. Exterior surfaces endure freeze-thaw cycles, intense high-desert sun, wind-driven grit, and wide daily temperature swings. In Northern Nevada and the surrounding mountain West, those conditions break down coatings and speed up corrosion faster than many owners expect.
When water tank repair is delayed, small issues compound. A failed patch of coating exposes bare steel, corrosion begins to pit the plate, and eventually a pinhole or weld seam starts to weep. What could have been a straightforward recoating project becomes a far larger job involving steel replacement and extended downtime. Proactive water tank repair keeps systems in compliance and protects water quality. It also costs significantly less over the life of the tank than reactive emergency work.
Common signs your tank needs attention
Many tank problems are visible long before they become emergencies. Rust staining or bleeding on the exterior shell, peeling or blistering paint, and chalking coatings are early signs that the protective system is failing. Damp spots, mineral deposits, or icicles forming on the shell or around the base in winter often point to a developing leak and the need for water tank leak repair.
Other warning signs include unexplained drops in water level, rising pumping costs, damaged vents or hatches, corroded ladders and safety climbs, and settlement or cracking at the foundation. Inside the tank, inspectors look for coating failure, pitting along the bottom plate, sediment buildup, and corrosion around roof rafters where condensation collects. If any of these conditions are present, it is time to schedule an evaluation and plan water tank repair before the damage spreads.
What causes water tank leaks
Understanding the source of a leak is the first step in effective water tank leak repair. The most common cause is corrosion. Once the coating system breaks down, oxygen and moisture attack the exposed steel, creating pits that eventually go all the way through the plate. Bottom plates are especially vulnerable because damage there stays hidden until water begins escaping into the foundation.
Leaks can also develop at weld seams, pipe penetrations, manways, and overflow connections, where stress and movement wear on the steel over time. Foundation settlement, seismic activity, and ice buildup can distort the shell and open new leak paths. Because each cause requires a different fix, water tank leak repair should always begin with a thorough inspection rather than a quick surface patch that only hides the underlying problem.
The water tank repair process
Inspection and assessment
Every successful water tank repair project starts with a clear picture of the tank's condition. A detailed assessment documents coating performance, steel thickness, weld integrity, structural components, and safety and sanitary features. The findings help owners prioritize water tank leak repair and other work, budget accurately, and decide whether targeted fixes or a full rehabilitation will deliver the best value.
Leak repair and steel work
For active leaks, the tank is typically drained, cleaned, and prepared so crews can safely reach the damaged area. Water tank leak repair may involve welding in new steel plate, repairing or reinforcing seams, replacing corroded nozzles and fittings, or restoring sections of the floor or roof. Experienced welders matter here, because welded repairs on potable water tanks must meet the same standards as the original construction, including AWWA D100 for welded steel water storage tanks.
Surface preparation and recoating
Most water tank repair work ends with restoring the protective coating system. Abrasive blasting removes old coatings and corrosion down to clean, profiled steel. A new lining system is then applied to protect the interior from constant contact with water. Coatings used inside potable water tanks must be approved for drinking water contact, typically under NSF/ANSI/CAN 61, while exterior systems are selected to resist UV exposure and weathering. Proper surface preparation is what separates a coating that lasts decades from one that fails in a few seasons.
Disinfection and return to service
Once repairs and coatings are complete and properly cured, the tank is disinfected according to AWWA standards and tested before it returns to service. Careful scheduling minimizes downtime, so communities and facilities stay supplied with water throughout the water tank repair project.
Repair, recoat, or replace?
Not every tank is a candidate for repair. Replacement may be the more economical long-term choice when corrosion has thinned the steel beyond safe limits, when foundations have failed, or when a system has outgrown its capacity. In most cases, however, a well-built steel tank can be restored through timely water tank repair and recoating for a fraction of the cost of new construction.
This is where working with a contractor that both builds and repairs tanks pays off. Resource Development Co can evaluate an existing tank from a builder's point of view. That gives owners an honest comparison between water tank leak repair, full rehabilitation, and a new AWWA D100 welded steel tank. Whatever the decision, the goal is the same: reliable water storage at the best overall value.
Why choose Resource Development Co
Since 1972, Resource Development Co has erected more than 500 welded steel water storage tanks across the Western United States. That experience covers in-house tank design, shop fabrication, field erection, painting, civil site work, and yard piping, so the team understands how tanks are built from the foundation up. That knowledge leads directly to smarter, longer-lasting water tank repair and more durable water tank leak repair.
The coatings division of Resource Development Co holds SSPC QP1 and QP2 certifications and in-house NACE certifications and has blasted and coated steel tanks up to 5,000,000 gallons. Crews apply products from leading manufacturers including Sherwin-Williams, Tnemec, Carboline, and Devoe. The company also owns the specialized equipment needed for surface preparation, application, and curing. Resource Development Co has been recognized with multiple safety awards, including milestones for more than 100,000 and 250,000 hours worked, reflecting a commitment to protecting crews and clients on every job.
Licensed in both Nevada and California, Resource Development Co brings the same standards to a small water tank leak repair in Reno as it does to a large municipal rehabilitation elsewhere in the West.
Schedule your water tank repair with Resource Development Co
If your tank is showing signs of corrosion, coating failure, or leakage, do not wait for a small problem to become an emergency. Resource Development Co provides expert water tank repair, water tank leak repair, industrial coatings, and new welded steel tank construction for municipalities, water districts, and private owners across Reno, Northern Nevada, and the Western United States. Call the office at 775.356.8004, email info@resourcedevelopmentco.com, or contact us to discuss your project and get your tank back to peak performance.
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