This resource library is maintained to support property owners, facility managers, engineers, and water system operators in making informed decisions about cistern coating systems, water storage infrastructure, and related topics. It includes technical articles, regulatory guidance, and practical guides developed from our field experience and technical research.

Technical Articles and Guides

Coating Technology

• Polyurea Coatings for Cistern Tanks — An introduction to polyurea chemistry, properties, and why it’s the preferred technology for modern cistern lining applications.
• Epoxy vs. Polyurea Cistern Coatings: Which Is Right for Your Application? — A detailed technical comparison of the two primary coating technologies, covering flexibility, cure time, chemical resistance, and application windows.
• How Long Do Cistern Coatings Last? A Complete Lifespan Guide — Expected service lives by coating type, the factors that most influence longevity, and maintenance practices that extend coating life.
• Cistern Coating Failure: Root Causes, Warning Signs, and Prevention — The most common failure modes in cistern coatings, the underlying causes, early warning signs to watch for, and specification practices that prevent each type of failure.

Regulatory and Safety

• NSF/ANSI 61 Certification and Potable Water Cistern Coatings — What the certification requires, why marketing claims like “non-toxic” are not a substitute, and how to verify a product’s current certification status.

Application-Specific Guides

• The Complete Guide to Rainwater Harvesting Cistern Design and Coating Selection — System sizing, first-flush diversion, above vs. underground placement decisions, and coating selection criteria for rainwater harvesting applications.
• Agricultural Cistern Coatings: Protecting Irrigation Water Storage on the Farm — Coating selection, rehabilitation approaches, and economics for farm water storage applications.
• Cistern Rehabilitation vs. Replacement: How to Make the Right Call — Structural assessment criteria, economic breakpoints, and the clear indicators that rehabilitation is or isn’t viable.

Construction and Design

• How to Properly Build a Concrete Cistern — Design and construction considerations for concrete cistern structures, from sizing and form design through curing and initial inspection.
• Understanding Cistern Liner Coatings: What Works, What Fails, and Why Design Matters — How cistern design decisions affect coating performance and long-term waterproofing outcomes.
• Cistern Liner Coatings and the Problem Beneath the Surface — What’s happening inside deteriorating cisterns that you can’t see — and why addressing the substrate condition is as important as the coating itself.

Current Issues in Water Infrastructure

• Why Cistern Failures Are Drawing National Attention—and What That Means for Water Resilience — The growing recognition of water storage infrastructure vulnerability and what it means for communities and property owners.
• Protecting the Heart of Your Water System: A Closer Look at Cistern Liner Coatings — Why cisterns are the most critical component in distributed water systems and why liner integrity is a water security issue.

Reference Standards and Organizations

The following standards and organizations are referenced throughout our technical content and are important resources for anyone specifying or overseeing cistern coating work:

• NSF International (nsf.org): Maintains the database of NSF/ANSI 61 certified products for potable water contact. Essential for verifying coating certification status.
• ICRI (International Concrete Repair Institute): Publishes surface preparation profile standards (CSP 1–9) used to specify concrete surface preparation for coating applications.
• SSPC/NACE (now AMPP): Publishes surface preparation standards for steel substrates used in coating specifications worldwide.
• ASTM International: Publishes test methods for coating adhesion (D 4541), film thickness, holiday detection, and numerous other coating-related test methods.
• EPA Drinking Water Regulations: The regulatory foundation for water quality standards that underpin NSF/ANSI 61 certification requirements.

Need More Information?

If you’re looking for information on a specific topic not covered here, or need guidance on a specific project situation, contact our team directly. We’re also happy to review our comprehensive Cistern Coating Guide with you, which synthesizes the key topics covered across these individual resources. For quick answers to common questions, our FAQ page may have what you need.