{"id":703,"date":"2026-11-10T01:08:42","date_gmt":"2026-11-09T17:08:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.allhackernews.com\/blog\/?p=703"},"modified":"2026-11-10T01:08:42","modified_gmt":"2026-11-09T17:08:42","slug":"are-there-any-regulations-regarding-the-use-of-reservoir-bags-4ce7-aa1a7f","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.allhackernews.com\/blog\/2026\/11\/10\/are-there-any-regulations-regarding-the-use-of-reservoir-bags-4ce7-aa1a7f\/","title":{"rendered":"Are there any regulations regarding the use of reservoir bags?"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019ve ever walked past a working water treatment plant, an agricultural irrigation hub, or even a remote disaster response site, you\u2019ve likely seen those large, flexible, bladder-like bags tucked near reservoirs or pump stations. I\u2019m John, and I\u2019ve spent the last seven years running a company that manufactures and supplies reservoir bags\u2014simple, durable, and purpose-built tools that solve water storage challenges when hard steel or concrete tanks are too costly, too slow to install, or unnecessary for temporary or semi-permanent use. For most of that time, I assumed these bags were a low-regulation product; after all, they\u2019re just flexible plastic, right? Wrong. Over the years, I\u2019ve learned that regulators, industry groups, and even local water utilities have very specific rules around how reservoir bags are designed, manufactured, and used, and getting this wrong can lead to safety risks, fines, or failed projects. Reservoir Bags<\/a><\/p>\n

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Let\u2019s start with why reservoir bags matter, because that context makes the regulations make sense. Our bags don\u2019t hold drinking water directly\u2014wait, no, actually some do, but most hold raw water or irrigation supply, which is why their construction has to meet standards. They\u2019re often used for temporary storage during droughts, to hold overflow from reservoirs during rainy seasons, or as a backup water source for farms or remote communities. Unlike rigid storage, they\u2019re lightweight, easy to transport, and can be deflated and moved when not in use, which is why they\u2019re popular with farmers in the Great Plains, disaster response teams after hurricanes, and even small town water departments that need extra capacity without building a new concrete tank. But that flexibility also introduces risks: if a bag fails, that\u2019s a lot of water flooding an area it\u2019s not supposed to, which can damage property, contaminate nearby soil or water sources, or even hurt someone if it bursts near a worksite. That\u2019s where regulations come in.<\/p>\n

The first set of rules I had to navigate were related to material safety, especially when bags hold water that will come into contact with people or crops. A few years back, we lost a small irrigation contract after a local agricultural extension office flagged that our older batch of bags used a type of vinyl that leached chemicals when exposed to sunlight for six months. Turns out, the USDA\u2019s Agricultural Water Management (AWM) program has specific material standards for any water storage product used to irrigate food crops. The standard, AWM-10, requires that all materials coming into contact with irrigation water can\u2019t leach harmful levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), heavy metals, or plasticizers like phthalates that could make crops unsafe to eat or leave residue in soil. We switched to food-grade, UV-stabilized polyethylene for all our bags that are used for irrigation or potable water, and now we test every batch of material with a third-party lab to confirm compliance. For bags used only for raw, non-potable reservoir overflow, the rules are a little looser, but most state environmental agencies still require them to be chemically stable enough not to degrade quickly or leach runoff pollutants into the surrounding ground.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s structural design standards, which are overseen mostly by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the American Water Works Association (AWWA). For any reservoir bag holding more than 10,000 gallons of water, AWWA\u2019s D100 standard for flexible water storage systems applies. That standard covers everything from how thick the bag material has to be (minimum 20 millimeters for most heavy-duty models) to how the seams are constructed, the type of valves used, and even the placement of safety alarms. A few years ago, a nearby contractor installed a bag that wasn\u2019t built to D100 specifications for a small town\u2019s emergency backup water source. The bag\u2019s seams were only heat-sealed once, not twice like the standard requires, and after three months of holding water, one seam split, spilling 12,000 gallons of water into a nearby wetland. The contractor was hit with a $15,000 fine from the state\u2019s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), and the town had to pay to pump out the contaminated wetland. Now, all our bags are tested for seam strength\u2014we pull the seams apart with a hydraulic press to confirm they can handle twice the weight of the water they\u2019re designed to hold\u2014so we never have that kind of issue.<\/p>\n

Location and use regulations are another area that trips up a lot of first-time buyers, especially people who think reservoir bags can just be plopped anywhere. Most states have rules about how close a reservoir bag can be to a well, a septic system, a storm drain, or a protected water body. For example, in Texas, any bag holding more than 5,000 gallons of water has to be at least 100 feet from a private well and 200 feet from a public drinking water source. That\u2019s to prevent leaks from contaminating groundwater. We once had a customer in Arizona try to put a 20,000-gallon bag 50 feet from his well, and we had to explain that under Arizona\u2019s Groundwater Management Act, that wasn\u2019t allowed\u2014he\u2019d have to either move the bag or apply for a variance, which is rarely granted for temporary storage. Also, for bags used for flood control or reservoir overflow, the Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has rules about how they\u2019re anchored, especially if they\u2019re near a levee or a regulated floodplain. Anchoring a bag incorrectly can cause it to shift during high water, which could damage a levee or block a drainage path. We include free site planning guidance with every order now, so customers know exactly where they can place their bag and what anchoring system they need, which saves them from headaches later.<\/p>\n

One of the most overlooked areas of regulation is related to end-of-life disposal of reservoir bags. A lot of people don\u2019t realize that when a bag reaches the end of its life (usually 10 to 15 years, depending on how much sun and wear it\u2019s exposed to), it can\u2019t just be thrown in a landfill. The plastic used in reservoir bags is a type of polyethylene that\u2019s not biodegradable, and most states classify it as a bulky plastic waste, not regular trash. California and Oregon, for example, have laws that require any plastic water storage product over 50 gallons to be either recycled through a certified program or disposed of at a licensed industrial waste facility. We have a take-back program for our old bags, and we partner with recycling centers that can melt the material down and reuse it for things like plastic lumber or garden edging, which is a big selling point for customers who are focused on sustainability.<\/p>\n

Now, I know what some of you might be thinking: \u201cI\u2019m just a small farmer, or a volunteer with a disaster response group, do I really need to worry about all these rules?\u201d The short answer is yes, even small users have to comply with basic regulations. For example, the EPA requires that any water storage system holding more than 1,500 gallons of water that\u2019s not treated (like rainwater collected in a reservoir bag) has to be labeled to prevent people from drinking it, because it can harbor bacteria or contaminants. We add that labeling to every bag over 1,500 gallons as a standard, because we don\u2019t want our customers to get in trouble for missing that. Even volunteer groups that use reservoir bags for hurricane relief have to follow local environmental rules, because FEMA requires all emergency water storage equipment to meet basic safety standards to be eligible for reimbursement.<\/p>\n

Over the years, I\u2019ve seen a lot of suppliers cut corners to avoid complying with regulations, and it never ends well. We once had a customer come to us after buying a cheap bag from an unregulated supplier that burst during a heavy rainstorm, damaging their equipment and spilling water into a nearby stream. The supplier couldn\u2019t be found, and the customer had to pay thousands in fines and repair costs. That\u2019s why we make compliance a core part of our business, not an afterthought. Every bag we sell comes with a compliance certificate that lists the standards it meets, so customers can show it to their local DEQ or water utility if they need to.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re in need of a reservoir bag, whether it\u2019s for irrigation, emergency backup, reservoir overflow, or any other use, navigating these regulations doesn\u2019t have to be complicated. We\u2019ve spent years working with regulators, state agencies, and customers to understand every rule, so we can help you choose the right bag for your needs and make sure it meets all local, state, and federal requirements. Whether you\u2019re a small farmer in Iowa, a disaster response coordinator in Florida, or a water utility manager in California, we can help you figure out exactly what you need to stay compliant. Reach out to our team to discuss your project, and we\u2019ll walk you through every step of the process, from material selection to site planning.<\/p>\n

Reservoir Bags<\/a> References:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. U.S. Department of Agriculture. (2021). Agricultural Water Management Standard AWM-10: Material and Design Specifications for Irrigation Water Storage. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.<\/li>\n
  2. American Water Works Association. (2019). Flexible Water Storage Systems Standard D100. AWWA.<\/li>\n
  3. Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. (2022). Rules for On-Site Water Storage and Groundwater Protection. TCEQ Publication GW-12.<\/li>\n
  4. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2020). Best Management Practices for Non-Potable Water Storage Systems. EPA 832-B-20-005.<\/li>\n
  5. California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery. (2021). Plastic Water Storage Product Disposal Guidelines. CalRecycle Publication 21-007.<\/li>\n
  6. American Society of Civil Engineers. (2018). Design of Temporary and Flexible Water Storage Structures. ASCE Manual of Practice No. 117.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    \n

    Hangzhou Benzgum Medical Technology Co., Ltd.<\/a>
    Hangzhou Benzgum Medical Technology Co., Ltd. is one of the most professional reservoir bags manufacturers and suppliers in China, featured by quality products and good service. Please rest assured to wholesale custom made reservoir bags from our factory. Contact us for OEM&ODM service.
    Address: Room 708, 7th Floor, Building 4, Haichuang Technology Center, No. 1288 Wenyi West Road, Yuhang District, Hangzhou City
    E-mail: yang@surgicasupply.com
    WebSite:     https:\/\/www.surgicasupply.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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